Tainted
by UniqueFandoms
Summary: Some loves are never forgotten... *Chapter 14 - The family that fights together, stays together added*
1.

Tainted **Tainted**   
**Some loves can never be forgotten**

_Lately I'm not who I used to be_   
_Someone's come and taken me_   
_Where I don't wanna go_   
__ __

_If I knew exactly what I have to do_   
_In order to be there for you_   
_When you were feeling low_   
__ __

_And all the things we ever wanted_   
_Were once yours and mine_   
_Now I know we can revive it_   
_All the love we left_   
__ __

_Everytime I kiss I feel your lips_   
_And everytime I cry I see your smile_   
_And everytime I close my eyes I realise that_   
_Everytime I hold your hands in mine_   
_The sweetest thing my heart could ever find_   
_And I have never felt this way_   
_Since the day I gave your love away_   
__ __

_Save me, I've fallen from my destiny_   
_You and I were meant to be_   
_I've thrown it all away_   
__ __

_Now you're gone_   
_It's time for me to carry on_   
_But baby I just cant go on_   
_Without you by my side_   
__ __

_And all the things we ever wanted_   
_Were once yours and mine_   
_Now I know we can't revive it_   
_All the love we left_   
_Everytime....._   
__ __

_We can survive it_   
_All the pain we feel inside_   
_You relied on me and now I've let you go down_   
_Now, I promise you forever_   
_I will be the best I can_   
_Now, I know we can revive it_   
_All the love we left_   
_Everytime...._

  
  


I'm tainted... 

When I first entered the WWF I was so innocent, I was truly "daddy's little girl", there was no doubt about that... I could do no wrong in daddy's eyes and it was the truth but then something happened... 

Hunter happened. 

Hunter changed who I was, he made me into the person all the fans hate, he turned me into this screeching brat. 

Before I had been someone, I had been sweet and I had been worthy of someone's love... 

Not just someone... not just anybody... I had been worthy of Test's love. 

I at one time had been worthy of his loving gazes, I at one time had been the person he thought about all the time, I at one time had been the person he wanted to spend the rest of his life with... but I'm not that person anymore. 

I bet all of you are pretty shocked by now, I bet all of you are surprised that the billion dollar princess is moping over Test. 

I had and still have all of you fools fooled... no pun intended. 

I even at one time had myself fooled, I fooled myself that Test was nothing to me, but it was just another lie I told. I'm good at telling the lies, I tousle my hair back, cover my face with all sorts of make-up, I put on the skimpy clothes, and then I look at myself in the mirror and tell myself that I don't love Test. I tell myself that he never meant anything to me, that the love we shared was NOTHING... that the love never existed, I tell myself that I love Hunter, but I don't. 

I DON'T love Hunter, how could I love someone who is so cruel and cold hearted? Sure I had all of you fooled, but sitting in my dressing room alone and looking at my reflection in my vanity room, I finally realize that I could have been someone's everything instead of someone's trophy wife. 

Test LOVED me more then Hunter could ever even try to love me; Test would look at me and I knew with just that one glance that he loved me with all the fiber in his body, and that he would continue loving me until the day he died. Test's love was the sort of love that I had been searching for all my life, and the minute I got that love... I ran to Hunter. 

I didn't want to need Hunter, but I did. I wanted to get back at my father for the way he enlisted me into his conflict with Stone Cold Steve Austin, I wanted to get back at my brother for helping The Undertaker kidnap me, I wanted to get revenge at the two most loved people in my life: Shane and my daddy, for the horror and pain they made me endure... and to do that, I had to let go of Test. 

I went to Hunter with my plan, and Hunter jumped at the opportunity to get back at, as what Hunter called him "The Big Man", and then the McMahon-Helmsley era was started. 

The look on Test's face had been almost unbearable to look at, and then the way my father wrapped his arms around me protecting me from who was supposedly the bad man trying to hurt his baby girl, made me want to endow the marriage and marry Test and stay with my daddy and not to start up this damn era, but it was too late. 

My daddy had been crushed... Shane had been crushed! The two people I wanted to crush were hurt, mission complete! But then the unexpected thing happened... Test had been crushed. I had never meant to hurt him, I loved him, I really did! I just needed that revenge so badly, that I looked past love, looked past Test. 

And now Test hates me. Why wouldn't he? Even if he did have the ability to forgive me before, he doesn't anymore. Hunter has beaten the living hell out of Test, and at my father's orders and mine. 

Things are SO crazy lately, I pretend that I love what is going on in the federation but I don't like it one bit, I hate it! 

The alliance between Stone Cold Steve Austin and my "husband" Hunter is sickening, the way they are destroying Kane and The Undertaker makes me sick to my stomach, and the way Hunter nearly killed Test because of Test's involvement in the last man standing match between Shane and The Big Show made me want to cry, but instead I stood tall and I cheered my "husband" on. 

I stand by Hunter and stand tall and proud, but I'm not proud of the sort of carnage he is doing... I don't want to be with Hunter, but I have NO choice. If I even try to leave Hunter, I'll be kicked out of the family just like my mom and Shane. I won't be daddy's little girl anymore, I won't be the billion dollar princess anymore... and I just can't see me not being that... that is all I have ever known. If I left Hunter, where would I go? I have nowhere to go, I don't have Test anymore. 

I'll be just like Shane. Shane had one time been the billion dollar prince, he was just like me but then one little mistake sent him kicking and screaming out of the family. Shane protected mom's honor, he's more then I could ever be. Shane knew the consequences of his choices, and he still did them. Sure I hated Shane before, and some part of me still does for his involvement with what happened between The Undertaker and I, but Shane is my brother. 

One time I had been the sort of person Shane was proud to call his little sister, he used to call me "Stephy" and he would look at me with love in his eyes, but not anymore. He hates the person I have become, there is disgust in his eyes when he looks at me and as much as I say it doesn't hurt... it does. 

Shane had always loved me no matter what, no matter what I did... I was always Shane's Stephy. I had always been Shane's little sister, but not anymore. What did I expect? The choices I have made have affected EVERYONE! And the decisions I have made have caused me to lose the people I loved the most... 

Test and Shane. 

They have so many similarities... they both loved me with everything they had, and I betrayed them both. I said I loved them one day and then the next day I stabbed them in the back; I looked them in the eye and told them I was disgusted with them and slapped them in the face. I said things and done things to them that can't be taken back, and now when I want to take them back, they are unforgiving. 

"10 minutes Stephanie." 

I look away from my vanity mirror and nod at one of the crewmen... 10 minutes until I go skipping into that ring, 10 minutes until that "slut" chant starts up, until that damn "slut" chant ring in my ears. 

I am NOT a slut! Doesn't anyone see that? Can't anyone see past the hairspray and the make-up? Can't anyone see past the skimpy clothes and all the lies? Can't anybody see that I'm still Shane's Stephy? Can't anyone see that I am still in love with Test? Of course not, I'm too good of a good liar for them to see past my act. 

"Ready babe?" 

I look up and paste on a fake smile, as Hunter smiles at me from the doorway. Okay I had been wrong... Hunter does love me. He has to love me, he fought Rikishi for me on Smackdown, and he's stayed faithful to me this whole time... yes Hunter loves me... it just doesn't go around. I want to love Hunter, because maybe if I do love him then I can stop loving Test, but no I don't love Hunter. 

"Yep, just putting the finishing touches on my make-up. How do I look?" 

Hunter smiles at me, flashing me that handsome smile of his. 

"Beautiful, as usual, now come on. Steve is waiting for us." 

I get up and stroll over to Hunter, I grab his hand and we walk down the hall, smiles on our faces. We are the WWF's model couple, like me and Test had been a while back. Even though I hate Hunter, I admit we look good together... 

"Looks like Testicle wants some more..." 

I roll my eyes at Hunter's little nickname for Test, but I laugh at it just to show I'm not pissed... which I am. I look up at and see Test walking past us; His ribs still taped up, he glares at Hunter and me, and then for a split second, I see his eyes soften up when we look at each other. 

***Please Test I love you, don't you ever forget that.***

For a second it's just Test and me, and I stare into his eyes, hoping he can hear my subliminal message. 

Test doesn't say a word, but he just stares. His eyes drilling into mine, not a word, just a gaze. It's not a gaze full of hate, but it's not a gaze full of love either... it's just Test looking at me, and then he looks over at Hunter, finally glaring. 

"Yeah Triple H, you're damn right I want some! Me and you tonight, in a hardcore match, you up to that?" 

I watch them with an intense look in my eyes.   


**NEXT IN THE 'TAINTED' SERIES:**

Test thinks of Stephanie and finds himself feeling sorry for his ex-fiancée. 

Triple H and Test fight in a hardcore match.   
  



	2. Test's POV

tained tests pov **Tainted**   
**Some Loves are never forgotten**   
  
  
  


_You drive a pretty car_   
_You know how fine you are_   
_And nobody needs to say it_   
_They love the clothes you wear_   
_They compliment you_   
_And I just love the way you play it_

_But the only thing you dream of money can't buy for you_   
_And in all my dreams_   
_I make your wish come true_

_For the girl who has everything_   
_I bring you love_   
_Cause the girl who has everything_   
_Can't get enough_

_Why do you run and hide?_   
_Say what you feel inside_   
_Why must you always fake it?_   
_Girl you need to understand_   
_Your heart is safe within my hands and_   
_I promise I'll never break it_

_I know you still dream of what money can't buy for you_   
_And in my dreams, I make your wish come true_

_For the girl who has everything_   
_I bring you love_   
_Cause the girl who has everything_   
_Can't get enough_

_If you just let me try_   
_My baby listen_   
_I'll help you find what you've been missing_   
_You gotta listen to your heart_   
_And not your mind_

_For the girl who has everything_   
_I bring you love_   
_Cause the girl who has everything_   
_Can't get enough_

  
  
  


They're the perfect couple... 

Yeah right, Stephanie and Hunter may want everyone to believe that, but am I the only one that sees what Hunter is doing to Stephanie? Stephanie used to be so beautiful... I'm not saying she's not beautiful now, but before she had been naturally beautiful, she didn't need all the make-up, she didn't need the skimpy clothes... all she needed was herself, and for that she was more beautiful then anyone else that I have met in my life. 

Me and Stephanie could have been happy, hell we were going to be happy, but then Hunter entered the equation and everything was ruined. I guess a part of me still wants to believe that Hunter actually did drug Stephanie and that she was the one that was wronged in this whole situation, but I can't believe that anymore... this was all Stephanie's doing... 

I get that she wanted revenge on her father and Shane, I totally get that, but why Hunter? Couldn't she have gotten that revenge on them with me? Well I guess not, her dad and Shane did love me after all, but still I loved her more then anything, I thought that was what every girl wanted... I thought girls wanted to be loved, and I LOVED Stephanie. 

Hunter can't love Stephanie like I loved her, Hunter can't love anybody but himself. It's not possible for "The Game" to love another human being, because it takes so much out of him to love himself. 

I don't know why I'm thinking about this all of a sudden, it's been 2 years since Hunter and Stephanie got married, it's been 2 years since I lost Stephanie... this shouldn't matter anymore... but it does. I watch Stephanie sometimes and I see for a split second the old "Steph" shining brightly, but then other times all I can see is the Stephanie Hunter created. 

Why should I care? Stephanie obviously doesn't, she along with Vince sent Triple H after me... Triple H had brutalized me and what did Stephanie do? She cheered Hunter on, screaming his name, jumping up and down. The Stephanie I loved, she isn't here anymore, she has been replaced by this sadistic little... excuse my language... bitch... that is what Stephanie is now, she's nothing more then a spoiled little girl who screams too much. 

Why does Stephanie act the way she acts? Why does she wear all the make-up? Why does she wear all the skimpy clothes? Hey I got no problem with skimpy clothes, well I didn't when Trish was wearing them... but seeing Stephanie in those sort of clothes, it makes my stomach turn... in disgust. I just don't know why Stephanie wears those sort of clothes and covers her face with all that make-up, she can't possibly like it, she doesn't... the look on her face, gives it away, she doesn't like the person she is becoming, I can see it and I want to help her, but what if this is just another little game that mister game and miss game created? 

I can't take that chance again! I can't give in and help Stephanie, I can't confess that I still love her, and then have myself get stabbed in the back again, no... it hurt too much the first time, if it happened again, I don't think I would be able to live through the pain. 

Okay I just realized I have been staring at Stephanie for about 2 minutes, Hunter is looking at me, and to stop a red color from rising up in my cheeks, I need something to take Hunter and Stephanie away from my little staring problem... 

"Yeah Triple H, you're damn right I want some! Me and you tonight, in a hardcore match, you up to that?" 

Hunter gets that cocky little grin on his face, and we glare at each other, from the corner of my eyes I can see Stephanie watching us with an intense look in her eyes. I can't tell if Stephanie is looking at me or Hunter... of course she is looking at Hunter, Stephanie doesn't love me anymore... if she ever did. I don't think Stephanie loved me, I think she was just marrying me because her dad and Shane wanted her to... but god there were sometimes, that I swore she really did love me... but hey that could have just been hopeful wishing kicking in. 

"Hardcore match tonight? Get ready to be crushed... _Testicle._" 

I roll my eyes at his little nickname for me... _Testicle... _Hunter has a brain of a 10 year old. I watch him squeeze Stephanie's hand and drag her off with him, my eyes follow after Stephanie, and then I feel everything stop, when she turns around and stares at me before disappearing around the corner. 

This is stupid, really it is. I mean Stephanie McMahon doesn't even think twice about me anymore, so why in the world am I trying to read in between the lines? There is no in between line to read, Stephanie loves Hunter and not me... It's that simple, I was NOTHING to Stephanie, just some pawn in her little game. I should just except that and give up on trying to reach Stephanie... 

Heh, giving up on Stephanie is impossible... isn't that what Shane said to me when I visited him in the hospital after he jumped 50 feet and landed on Big Show on Backlash? Man that totally rocked! Okay I'm drifting away from the subject, I had went to visit Shane, you know to see how he was doing and all, and I made the mistake of bringing up Stephanie. Shane had gotten this pained look in his eyes, you know the sort of look a little kid gets when his dog died or something? Well that look was embedded in Shane's eyes, and then he said: 

"Giving up on Stephanie is impossible. You want to give up on her, because once you do, the pain of losing her can go away, but you just can't bring yourself to give up on her, or at least I can't. Because deep down there, I know Stephanie, the old Stephanie, is still there and she's just waiting for someone to let her out." 

I usually didn't listen to sappy stuff like that, but it actually made sense... I mean Stephanie, the old Steph, has to be still here, she probably never went away, she just got hidden by Hunter. Sure it sounds crazy, but if it is true... if Steph is really still there... I would do anything in my power to bring her back. 

"Tonight the game is going to be over..." 

I push my hair back and continue walking... where was I going again? Oh yeah... to see Shane. Shane is still in that damn hospital, his injuries have healed up a little but his body is still all battered up... shit I still can't believe he jumped from 50 feet in the air, I had never thought he would do it... Shane can be a dare devil when he wants to be... he's full of surprises... just like his little sister. 

There we go again, I can't stop thinking about her for at least 10 minutes, hey that's better then before... when we used to be together, I would think about her every 5 minutes... but hey that was in the old days. Before Stephanie decided to turn her back on me... before she turned her back on love. 

I want to continue feeling angry at Steph, but I can't... all I can do or feel right now, is sympathy. I feel sorry for her because she is trapped, trapped with Hunter and there is nothing she can do. See Stephanie, she loves being daddy's little girl, she loves the attention she gets from Vince, Steph was never really a mommy's little girl, everything she did, she did for Vince. Stephanie would just die if Vince turned his back on her, if she left Hunter she would be outted out of the family and that would kill Stephanie, and that is the only reason she's still with Hunter. Stephanie might have loved Hunter at one time, but all that love is gone, and all she has is her own little hellhole of a marriage, she stands by Hunter but all that happiness, all that beauty Steph once had, is drained out of her body, and she's miserable. 

Hunter makes her miserable... but she doesn't do anything about it, well she did actually try... but the whole Kurt Angle thing didn't work out. Hunter ended that thing so fast it even made Kurt's head spin, even though I personally don't like Angle, he was better then Hunter... anything is better then Hunter. 

Sighing, I turn around and walk into my locker-room, I'll visit Shane later, it depends... if I win I'll walk in and visit him, if I lose I'll be in a gurney visiting him. 

Pacing back and forth in my room, waiting for someone to tell me my match is up, all I can think about is... 

What if Shane never helped The Undertaker kidnap Steph? What if Steph never was put in that situation? Would things be different? Would Stephanie and me be happy? Those sort of questions haven't entered my head in such a long time, but recently they have been entering my head and I can't think straight anymore. 

Even if Steph was to change how could I know I could trust her? I can't trust anybody... 

I trusted Albert... he betrayed me. I trusted Trish... she betrayed me. See a pattern here? And Steph, well she betrayed me a long time ago, her betrayal had hurt the most. Because her betrayal hit me in the heart, because Stephanie had my love, she had my hurt and then she crushed it. But see unlike Albert and Trish's betrayal, Stephanie's betrayal keeps going on and on. 

But Stephanie has betrayed everybody... 

Shane. Linda. Me. The list goes on, Stephanie got people to trust her and love her and then she turned against them... heh, just like Hunter. Hunter is exactly the same... Hunter had Chyna's love and trust and then bam he betrayed her... aww mister and miss game have more in common then I thought. 

"Test, your match is up." 

I look up and nod at the crewman, I pull a white shirt on and I walk out of the locker-room and towards the arena, I pay no attention to my theme music as I walk down the titatron. Hunter is already in the ring, I look to my left and see Stephanie by the ring with a fake smile plastered on her face. I keep my gaze on her for a second but then I slide into the ring, and the minute I do, the fighting begins. Hunter is lying it on real thick, he's not even giving me a chance to breathe, or maybe it's the fact that I keep looking over at Stephanie. Usually in our matches, between Hunter and I, I would occasionally look over at Stephanie, knowing her track record for helping her husband win matches you would glance over at her too. But this time it was different, Stephanie had a worried look on her face, her brown eyes were caked in worry; I stopped fighting and stared at her, my eyes focused on hers... and then BAM... 

I felt Hunter's body plow into mine, both of us falling to the mat, my injured ribs even more... I can hear JR and Michael Cole talking about the match, I can hear the scream of the fans, and close to my ears I can hear Hunter's breathing. I watch Hunter get up rubbing his head, I try to push myself up but it's useless, my body feels like it's been broken in half; I see Hunter grab a sledgehammer, I close my eyes knowing it's all over but then Stephanie's voice comes into my head... not like a past memory of her, but her real voice, I can hear her screaming. 

"Ref! Ref! Ref!" 

I open my eyes and catch the sight of Stephanie on the edge of the ring screaming her lungs off, I turn my gaze to Hunter who has dropped the sledgehammer and is staring at her with a confused look in his eyes. Whatever Stephanie is doing, is taking Hunter's concentration off of me, I push myself up slowly and walk over to Hunter. Hunter turns around and looks at me shocked, well obviously he didn't expect me to get up so soon, he goes to hit me but I duck the punch. I stumble over backwards and then Hunter grabs me and throws me into the ropes... 

We both stop fighting when we hear Stephanie scream, I look in front of me and see Stephanie on the ground, her body crawled up in a little ball. 

I look to Hunter, who is grasping his head in disbelief, I turn my glance to Stephanie and then it hit me... 

_We must have hit her..._

My body must have thrown her off the ring when I got thrown into the ropes by Hunter, I look over at Hunter one more time, and by the look on his face, I know he has come to the same realization. I watch a group of referees running over to Stephanie, I watch them try to push her but she doesn't move an inch... 

And then I see the blood flowing from a cut on her head...   
  


**NEXT IN THE 'TAINTED' SERIES:**

Shane, after seeing Stephanie's injury on Smackdown and seeing the two men who caused it, worries about the safety of his little sister. 


	3. Shane's POV

sd **Tainted**   
**Some Loves are never forgotten**   


Stephanie... 

I had been in my hospital bed when the whole thing happened... I was watching tv, and I turned it on channel 12 and proceeded to watch "Smackdown", hell I didn't have anything else to do. The Rikishi/Big show match just had gotten over with... Big Show had gotten another stinky face by Rikishi, yes it was quite entertaining. 

Well anyways, the next match was starting, Hunter's theme came on and he walked down the titatron with Stephanie in tow. Stephanie was wearing her usual skimpy clothes and all that make-up, I had almost changed it, I hate seeing Stephanie like that. I try to remember her as my sweet and innocent little sister, but not the spoiled brat she is now. Well anyways, they got in the ring, the minute they got in the ring... I saw something different about Steph, she looked so incredibly tired. 

She looked so tired, and so miserable. I had always been able to read Steph like an open book, but this was horrible, she didn't even look like my little sister, and when she smiled it was even worse, because the smile was so fake. She slid out of the ring and a few seconds later Test came out. 

My eyes continued to concentrate on Stephanie though, I hate what Hunter is doing to her. She used to be so pure and full of life and he took all of that out of her, and this is what he left of her. I hate it! I hate that she is no longer my "Stephy", I hate that Stephanie sides with my dad. Me and Stephanie were at one time the closest of siblings, we were exactly like one another, but things are so different now. 

Me and Stephanie are never close anymore, we just keep throwing the insults at one another, we keep betraying one another... and it all started with my betrayal. I started this war, I started it by helping The Undertaker... I don't even want to go back there... but this is all my fault. 

I watch Test and Hunter fighting, I see Steph jump onto the edge of the ring and start screaming at the referee... At first I thought she was trying to help Hunter win but then I noticed that after Hunter got up, she continued screaming. I watched Hunter drop his sledgehammer and stare at Stephanie, and then everything on the screen happened so fast. Test got up and Hunter tried to hit him, and then Test ducked, and then Hunter threw Test into the ropes... 

And then it happened... 

Stephanie who had been on the edge of the ring, screamed and was thrown down to the ground when Test's body plowed into the ropes; I sat up in my hospital bed when I seen Steph hit her head on the edge of the metal stairs. It had been horrible, her body had automatically fallen limp once her head hit the stairs, I think I had somewhere along seeing Steph hit her head and collasping, screamed. 

Even though me and Stephanie haven't been on best terms, she is still my little sister and seeing this made what I already knew painfully obvious. 

Stephanie was in too deep. 

Not just with Hunter, not just with dad, but with everything, including Test. I have always liked Test and still do in fact, but tonight Test and Hunter made THEIR fight into MY fight. I've had seen Stephanie hurt too many times in matches because of the men she was personal with, example all the Kurt and Hunter fights. 

Stephanie is in too deep with Hunter and I am now officially worried for Stephanie's safety. Stephanie doesn't know what she is getting herself into, and here is my big brother instincts kicking in. Stephanie may act like she's this independant person but she's not, deep down she's still a little girl, she still wants someone to wrap their arms around her and protect her from all the bad stuff in life.

That is why Stephanie was always a daddy's little girl, because dad treated her like a piece of glass, dad was always worried that Stephanie was going to break. Whenever Stephanie would get hurt or someone would hurt her feelings, dad would be there to make everything good again and Stephanie loved that.

"Nurse! Nurse!"

My voice is at an all time high, I have to get out of here... that is all that enters my mind right now. I have to get to Stephanie... although I should stay here, my body is still pounding with pain from that 50 foot drop at Backlash. Last time I ever listen to Test on something like that, but back on the subject... I have TO go! She's my sister! Although we haven't called each other brother and sister for a long time, she is still my sister, and I have to be there for her.

_Why? When you were injured at Backlash, she wasn't there for you. Oh no she wasn't, she daddy's little girl... not Shane's little sister.... she's different and you need to recogonize that.___

There it goes again, just for futher notice, that's the voice in the back of my head, it constantly tells me to just give up on Stephanie. I mean why am I even trying? Steph, the old Steph, she's long gone. She's been replaced by this spoiled "Daddy's Little Girl", she would never betray dad, me and Stephanie are in two different worlds... we're walking down two different paths...

But what I can't help to think is... what if Steph's path and my path somehow end up going to the same place? Maybe Steph getting hurt on "Smackdown", is just leading us back together...

Yeah I know, total bullshit. But hey like Test said to me the other day, I have always been the sappy one out of me and Stephanie.

"Yes Mr. McMahon?"   
Nurse Williams enters the room and flashes me a smile, nice lady she is, she's probably around 35, reddest hair I have ever seen, it's like looking into a blazing fire... Although that has NOTHING to do with Stephanie, I just let my observation take over sometimes... okay going back to the subject at matter... Stephanie.

"I have to go---"   
I push myself out of bed, ignoring the extreme pain throbbing throughout my whole body, I start throwing my stuff in my duffel bag and in the background I can hear Nurse Williams asking, no pleading for me to just sit back down.   
"I have to leave, I have to go to the smackdown arena, my sister, she's hurt."   
There's an odd silence, and now I remember me and Nurse Williams's late night talking sessions, and how I would blab on about how much I wanted my old little sister back; I turn to Nurse Williams and give her a look and she just nods, motioning for me to leave, with that silent sign I limp out of the hospital.

My car is in the hospital parking lot, it's just coming back to me... Test had drove me to the hospital in my car, he must have left it here. I stop in front of my car, I fumble for my car keys, my hands are shaking like crazy. This is too surreal, having a little sister isn't easy... for one she always bothers to hang out with you, for second she's not as cool and tough as a brother (although Stephanie is one tough girl) but the worst part of having a little sister, is the pain, the horrible and unbearable pain you get when you see she's hurt. It's like one minute she's this annoying thorn in your side but then the next BAM she's the closest thing you got to heaven. Closing my eyes, I can see the whole thing replay, and everytime I see Steph fall off the ring and plow into that stair, the more it hurts. Because the part no one tells you when you're officially a big brother is... that her pain is your pain... she can be in tons of pain but it hits 3 times harder on your side. I open my eyes and unlock the car door, I jump inside my car and speed off.

Steph...Steph...Steph...

I have to get to Stephanie before it's too late, I have to be by her side, I just have to be there for her. I pull into the parking lot and jump out of the car, right now I don't even bother to turn the car off, right now it's all about me getting to Stephanie and making sure she's okay.

"Yo Shane -O- Mac!"   
"Hey dude!"

Christian and Edge smile at me once I enter "Smackdown", I nod at them and continue running down the hall, usually Christian and Edge are a comic relief, real funny guys they are, but right now NOTHING else matters. The feeling that is coursing through my body is all new to me, I've never felt it before...

It's pure concern for Stephanie. I've never felt this horrified and petrified for her safety before, maybe because before I was the billion dollar prince, that greed and power got to me and nothing else mattered... but I'm not the billion dollar prince anymore... I'm just Shane, finally I'm just me. And now without all the greed and power and money it hits me how powerful the bond between me and Stephanie is, how much I really do love her.

I run down the titatron, not even waiting for my theme music to come on, I look to my left and right, frantically searching for Stephanie.

"Shane what are you doing here?"   
It's Test, I look up and glare at Test but for only a few seconds, I can't even concentrate on feeling mad at one of the two men that hurt Stephanie, I'm just too damn scared for her.   
"Where's Stephanie?"   
Test is now grabbing my arm.   
"Shane, you should be in the hospital..."   
I push Test back, I know Test is just looking out for my well being and all, but damnit, I SO don't need this. I'm Shane -O- Mac, I'm a McMahon... I heal.   
"Damn it Test! Where is she? Where's Stephanie?"   
Test sighs and points over to where a group of referees are still trying to push Steph awake, I run over there, throwing a warning glance at Test and Hunter.

"Steph? Stephanie?"   
I kneel down next to Stephanie's motionless body, my eyes are dark with concern. Can she hear me?   
"Stephanie?"   
My voice is a bit shaky, seeing her get hurt on "Smackdown" had been bad enough, but seeing it in front of me is even worse. Stephanie's face looks so innocent, she looks like she did 2 years ago, I bring my hand down to brush her hair out of her face, pushing her hair back, Stephanie's natural beauty starts shining briliantly. I can feel everyone's gazes on me, but right now it doesn't matter, because right now in front of me is my "Stephy", she's back, even if it won't be a long time, she's back. I lean over and plant a kiss on Stephanie's forehead, as I remove my lips from Stephanie's forehead I look up at the two men who right now are my two worst enemies.

Test and Hunter.

They are both only standing a few feet away from me and Stephanie, I push myself up slowly and grab a microphone; I hold onto the microphone as I pace back and forth in front of Hunter and Test, not daring to say a word yet. Test and Hunter are standing next to each other, staring at me, awaiting my words. I let the silence cut into them, they don't deserve anything more, I look into the microphone for a long time but then I finally let the words escape my lips.

"You two..."   
I stop and point to Test and Hunter who just stare back at me.   
"Made your personal fight, into my fight, because tonight you hurt my little sister. You hurt one of the most important people to me."   
I take in a deep breath, shaking my head.   
"I swear! You two are so incredibly stupid!"   
Hunter and Test just stared at each other and then back at me.   
"You Hunter are destroying Stephanie, you're taking everything out of her, you make her into the bitch! I sat back for two years and watched you take away her humanity bit by bit, but tonight I'm here to say enough is enough!"   
I shake my head when Test smirks.   
"And you're no different Test!"   
Test looks back at me shocked.   
"Yeah you Test. You let your stupid pride and pain stand in the way of seeing how Stephanie was reaching out to you! Damn it Test! You're just as bad, Hunter may be doing the pain... but you're worse because you did nothing to help the woman you once said you loved with all your heart! You two can't possibly love Steph, because both of you are too damn concerned about each other, how could you love Steph when you're too busy loving one another?"

I walked over to Stephanie and picked her up, I cradeled her limp bodies in my arms as I slowly walked up the titatron, leaving the two idiots behind, I stopped briefly and turned around and stared at Hunter and Test.

"Love is a gift, you have to prove you are worthy of it, but neither of you are worthy for Steph's love."   
I dropped the microphone and finished walked up the titraton and disappeared backstage, heading to the hospital.   
****

**NEXT IN THE 'TAINTED' SERIES:******

Vince and Shane bump heads on who and what is best for Stephanie, meanwhile Stephanie makes a choice that will not only affect her family but the McMahon-Helmsley era.

Stephanie gets advice from a close friend.

Test and Hunter bump heads, on what happened in the past. 


	4. Before the storm

Faint voices __

Faint voices. Whispering. Deep breaths. 

Stephanie shifted her weight in the hospital bed, her eyes still closed. Stephanie could hear faint voices in the background, one belonged to a male that she identified as Shane, but the other one belonged to a female that Stephanie didn't exactly recognize. 

The pain was evident, her whole body ached in pain; Stephanie could hear Shane's voice come closer to her, the female's voice followed Shane's. They seemed to be talking about Stephanie's safety; Stephanie really couldn't make out what they were talking about, because there was a current ringing in her ears. 

"Shane..." Stephanie hissed out in a soft, gentle voice; She finally opened her eyes only to be invited by a blinding pain that the lighting of the room brought. 

"Stephanie!" Shane said quickly, as if he had not been expecting Stephanie to be waking up so soon. Shane walked away from the female in the room, that Stephanie couldn't see who it was because of her blurry vision; she could hardly see Shane. 

"My head," Stephanie started but stopped when Shane pulled out a chair and sat down next to her, the look on his face was something she hadn't seen in such a long time. The look on his face was of pure concern, his eyes were soft and caring, this was the Shane she knew; the one that she grew up with. "It hurts." 

Shane nodded and grabbed Stephanie's hand, giving it a little squeeze. "I know. The doctor said you had a mild concussion and a bruised rib, but that's all." 

Stephanie finally rolled her eyes. "Oh is that all Shane? Where's my dad?" 

Shane let go of Stephanie's hand, sighing; Shane got out of his chair, turning to the female in the room. "She wants dad---" 

Stephanie pushed herself up in the hospital bed, her eyes huge in shock. "What the hell is she doing here?" Stephanie screeched. 

Shane turned around and put his hand up, interrupting both Stephanie and Linda. "Now Stephanie, calm down! Mom was worried about you, she came here to see how you were." 

"Yeah like I believe that, I want my father now!" Stephanie pushed the covers off of her, swinging her legs to the side of the hospital bed. 

"Stephanie, dear..." Linda walked over to Stephanie trying to stop Stephanie from getting out of the hospital bed. 

Stephanie slapped Linda's hand away and climbed out of the bed. "Don't touch me." Stephanie shot Linda a look and started gathering her clothes as quick as she could. Stephanie grabbed her clothes and went into the bathroom to change into them.

Linda sighed, turning to Shane. "I told you she would never change, I told you she wouldn't appreciate anything we tried to do for her." Linda's voice was now full of disgust regarding Stephanie. 

Shane shook his head. "Mom, she was hurt, I was the only one that could have been there for her." 

"She has her husband." Linda said in a matter of fact tone. 

"Does she really mom?" Shane asked, his eyes holding an unreadable look in them. "Did she ever? If you remember correctly Hunter was one of the men that caused this." Shane pointed out.

"On accident. You think Hunter would actually ever hurt the billion dollar princess on purpose?" Linda rolled her eyes, she had heard this whole story before and she was plain sick of it. Linda knew exactly what kind of person Stephanie was and ever could be. Shane had tried too many times to prove that his sister was different, and she had even believed him before, but she wasn't that dumb, not anymore. 

"Her name is Stephanie! Stephanie McMahon, she is a human being." Shane's anger was starting to build up, even though he had no reason to defend her to Linda, he was. 

Linda was taken back by Shane's anger, was this the same person who had been trashing Stephanie a week ago to her? "I am fully aware that her name is Stephanie, I did give birth to her. But that is not who she is anymore, she's the billion dollar princess, daddy's little girl, that is all she can ever be." 

"That's not true!" Shane exclaimed, raising his voice. 

"Shane, honey..." Linda put her hands on Shane's shoulder. "I know how you feel..." 

"I doubt you do." Shane said bitterly. 

"You're right, I don't know how you feel, because I'm not a glutton for pain. All you are doing Shane is setting yourself up for another fall, a fall that is going to hurt you. Why are you protecting her? What has she done for you to protect her? To defend her?" 

Shane sighed softly. "She's done nothing, except be my little sister. Sure not the best little sister there is, but she is still my little sister. She's been through a lot..." 

"A lot? A lot of what? A lot of money?" Linda removed her hands from Shane's shoulder.

"No through a lot of pain! Stephanie is tired and miserable, and all you can do is act like she's on the top of the world. She needs me, she always has, it's not my fault you can't get past your anger at dad to see that she needs us." 

"She doesn't need either of you." Vince's voice entered Shane and Linda's ears as he entered the hospital room, wearing his usual suit and sour look on his face. "She needs her---"

"Daddy!" Stephanie said smiling, she ran out of the bathroom room and into Vince's arms. 

Shane watched Stephanie hug Vince, he watched how happy she was, and the sight of Stephanie being happy, made him happy. Shane hated his father and everything he stood for, but Vince loved Stephanie more then anything, even more then the WWF, although he didn't act like that sometimes. Shane was always second best to Vince ever since he was a little boy; to Vince it was always about Stephanie. Sure that had made Shane bitter towards Stephanie for a long time, but it was times like this that Shane was glad that Stephanie had Vince even when she didn't have anything else. 

"Baby, are you okay?" Vince asked, holding Stephanie's body close to his. "I got into the stadium today and Kurt tells me that you were hurt, damn Hunter and Andrew, damn them to hell." Vince gritted his teeth in anger, not acknowledging Shane or Linda yet. 

"I'm okay daddy, the doctor said I had a mild concussion." Stephanie said, looking up at Vince, smiling. 

Shane took a step towards Vince and gave him a bottle of pills. "These are pain killers to dull Stephanie's pain. She also has a bruised rib, she should have a lot of rest." 

Vince stared at Shane, angrily. "Stephanie, can you go outside while me and Shane talk alone?" Vince glanced at Linda. "Can you leave as well?" Vince asked, as politely as he could without rolling his eyes. 

Linda nodded and left the room without saying a word to Vince, not knowing if she could find any words to say to him that weren't cold and heartless. 

Stephanie hesitated, not knowing if she should let Shane and Vince alone, but after a few seconds, she finally nodded. "I'll be right outside daddy." Stephanie glanced at Shane before leaving the room a few footsteps behind Linda. 

"You had no right..." Vince started. 

"No right to what? Protect Stephanie? Because we all know that you are doing a shitty job of that." Shane shot back, cutting Vince off. 

"I protect Stephanie the best I can, and I do a terrific job in doing that." Vince glared back at Shane, not backing down. 

"Oh really? If you are so terrific in protecting her, then I wouldn't have had to rescue her before she got hurt worse. She shouldn't even had been out there in that match tonight." Shane crossed his arms across his chest. 

"It was an accident, Hunter never meant to hurt Stephanie, actually he is worried sick about his wife at this exact moment." Vince said over-dramatizing his words. 

Shane smirked; rolling his eyes, if there was something his dad knew everything about it was over-dramatizing things. Yes his father was a perfectionist at that, and Stephanie came real close. Vince had a real knack on making things seem bigger then they really were, he also had the knack of bringing their personal life onto screen and then act like he had nothing to do with it. Shane had studied his father's actions for a long time when he was out of the WWF, and Shane noticed that Vince was the biggest drama queen out of the whole McMahon family, including Stephanie. Actually Stephanie took a lot more crap then Vince did; Stephanie had beer poured on her, had her shirt torn off, been trapped in the walls of Jericho and even stalked by Stone Cold Steve Austin... what had Vince been through? 

"Well _dad _if Hunter was so damn worried and so honestly concerned about the welfare of his beloved wife Stephanie then he would have never made her accompany him to the ring in a match against her ex-fiancée. But Hunter isn't concerned about Stephanie's welfare because he is too busy worrying if his hair is okay." Shane smirked again; his dad was about to go in major meltdown for what Shane said about Triple H. 

"You take that back right now! Triple H is a very respected man..." Vince started to say. 

"Whatever you say, this isn't about Triple H, this is about Stephanie." Shane said, pointing out the obvious. 

"Indeed it is." Vince said, with a sour look on his face. 

"Great we both agree on that. Hunter has been wearing down Stephanie, and the best thing for her to do is to take a break." Shane raked a few fingers through his hair.

"Done." Vince turned to leave. 

"Away from Hunter." Shane said grabbed his long business coat. 

Vince whirled around, a dangerous glint in his eyes, the corners of his mouth twitching. "I beg your pardon?" 

Shane pulled his business coat on, and grabbed his sunglasses. "The well deserved break also is going to be away from Hunter. Hunter is the cause of this injury, she needs some time to see where she wants to be, who she wants to be with." 

"Whatever you have spinning in your mind, stop it right now Shane, if she goes anywhere she leaves with Hunter." Vince said, pointing a finger at Shane. 

Shane let out a sigh, as he pushed away Vince's finger. "If you care one damn bit about Stephanie you will give her what she needs, unless you want another one of these incidents. You do love her right dad?" 

"Of course I do!" Vince said loudly, and then there was an odd and uncomfortable silence, that was beginning to suffocate the room. "Fine, you get your way Shane, you love your sister right? This isn't some plot to get back at me is it?"

Shane shook his head quickly. "No dad, I'm not that cold hearted, that is something you and your only son would do." 

"If she gets hurt because of you..." Vince started but was cut off by Shane. 

"You can kill me, but believe me, my only intentions are good." 

Shane walked out of the hospital room, he walked over to where Stephanie was and smiled softly at her. "Pack your bags, you're coming home with me." 

"What?" Stephanie said surprised at her brother's words. "I'm what? Does dad know? Should I go get Hunter?" 

Shane slipped the sunglasses on and smiled again. "You are coming home with me, a well deserved break from the WWF and yes dad knows about it and no Hunter. Just get your bags, meet me in the front of the stadium and we'll leave." 

"Hunter's not coming?" Stephanie asked, her eyes full of questions. 

"Nope Stephy, just me and you." Shane smiled and walked off. 

Stephanie stared after Shane shocked, did he just call her "Stephy"? He did! He called her Stephy! Stephanie smiled big, and waited for Vince to show up so they could both leave. 

::: Back at the WWF arena, Vince's office :::

Vince looked up from the official WWF magazine, and motioned for both Test and Triple H to sit down in the two chairs he had pulled out for them. Vince closed the magazine and pushed it to the side, and forced a smile for the two obviously nervous men sitting in front of him. "Stephanie had a mild concussion and a bruised rib, but she will be okay." 

Triple H smiled big relieved, he opened his mouth to say something but stopped short when Vince brought up his hand, motioning for both Triple H and Test to let him finish speaking. 

"But the fact that she was at the hospital is bad enough. That was my baby girl you two carelessly injured, you two sent her to the hospital because of a stupid war between you two. I don't care what the war was about, all I care about is that Stephanie got hurt."

"Look Vince, I am SO sorry! You know I would never hurt Stephanie, I love her! She was on the edge of the ring, doing something, god knows what, and I didn't have time to stop Test from plowing into the ropes." Triple H said quickly. 

"Ass kisser." Test grumbled, getting Vince's attention. 

"Do you know who I am Test? What's my name Test?" Vince asked angry. 

Test smirked, he knew what this little game was, and there was no way that he was about to play it. "Do I know who you are? Well no shit sherlock I was almost married to your daughter, yeah I know who you are. What's your name? You should already know that answer." 

Vince brought his fist down to his wooden desk. "Almost being the keyword Test, my baby girl was smart enough to leave you at the altar." 

Triple H smirked, but wiped it off quickly seeing the look he was getting from Vince. "Sorry." Triple H mumbled. 

The words felt as if Test was being slapped in the face, yeah a slap to reality Test thought to himself. "Thank god for that, I wouldn't want to be married into this family anyhow." 

Vince shook his head. "Back to the subject, Stephanie will be taking a well deserved vacation off from the WWF." 

Triple H nodded. "So where am I taking her and why is Test here?" 

Vince stood up, shaking his head. "You aren't going anywhere Hunter. Shane has demanded that Stephanie come home with him for a few weeks, ALONE." 

Triple H jumped up from his chair. "Well you told the ass that she wasn't going anywhere without me right?" 

Test smirked. "When did Stephanie become a possession Vince?" 

Triple H turned around and glared at Test. "This is all your fault." 

Vince slammed his fist back down on his desk, getting Test and Triple H's attention. "I agree with Shane, Stephanie's injuries are because of you and Test's war and I do not need my little girl in the middle of a war. She will go to Shane's house and stay with him and Marissa for however long she wants, and in the meanwhile you two will settle your war so when she comes back, she comes back to a place where she is safe. And if you two ever pull a stunt like that again you two will be fired, now get the hell out of my office." 

Test pushed himself up from his chair and walked over to the door. 

"But Vince," Triple H started, not moving an inch. 

"I said get the hell out of my office!" Vince's voice thundered. 

Triple shook his head and followed Test out of Vince's office. 

::: Stephanie and Hunter's locker-room ::: 

Stephanie grabbed the last of her clothes, and shoved them in the big black duffel bag she had retrieved from the big walk in closet in the locker-room. Stephanie grabbed all of her hair items and threw them in the bag and went to pick it up, but froze when she heard a knocking on the door. Shane had told her to talk to no one but just to get her stuff and meet him outside; Stephanie hesitated for a minute but then walked over to the door, pulling it open. Stephanie automatically smiled when she saw Kurt Angle on the other side of the door, despite all the problems in the past, her and Kurt were good friends, honest to God good friends. Kurt wasn't as snotty as he let on, actually backstage he was a little quieter and a tad bit shy, despite to what everybody thought Kurt wasn't that bad of a guy. "Hey Kurt! Come in!" Stephanie moved out of the way so Kurt could come in, she would have to make Shane wait just a little bit. 

"Well I just got done having dinner with Christian and Edge," Kurt started but was cut off by Stephanie. 

"Oh how did that go?" Stephanie asked, she was in a hurry but wanted to have a little bit of conversation with Kurt, she didn't know how long she would be gone. 

Kurt smiled. "It was interesting as usual." 

Stephanie laughed. "How you stand those two is beyond me, how do you understand a word they are saying?" 

Kurt shook his head. "They're my best friends, you learn to deal, but that isn't what I came here for." 

Stephanie stopped smiling once she saw the serious look on Kurt's face. "What's up Kurt? You looked bothered, is something wrong?" 

Kurt nodded. "Yeah, this thing with Hunter..." 

"What thing with Hunter? I'm married to him." Stephanie answered quickly. 

"Look Steph, we're friends, close ones at that so when I say this I am saying this for your own benefit. He's all wrong for you, he is draining you, taking everything that makes you... well you and he's destroying that, he's destroying you. I sat back and watched, and did nothing for such a long time, but I can't sit back and not do anything anymore, you deserve so much better. You deserve to be with someone that you love, that you honestly love." Kurt crossed his arms across his chest. 

"And what makes you think that I don't love Hunter? Hmm Kurt? When did you become such a genius?" Stephanie snapped. 

Kurt sighed. "I just see the way you look, the way you look like you are the most miserable woman on the planet. I see how you are affected by the chants, how you cringe when people call you those names." 

"You don't know anything!" Stephanie screamed. 

Kurt shook his head. "Maybe I don't. Maybe I am just some stupid idiot that knows no better, but I thought I could come to my friend and give her a little advice, but I was wrong. Because she's so damn delusional that she can't see when she is being rude to the few friends she has left. Hunter has made you into this person that isn't even the girl that became my friend, you're not even the girl that went to the airport with your dad and met me, you're not even the girl that shook my hand and welcomed me to the WWF. I heard the news that you will be gone for a while with Shane so I'll make this quick... some loves never go away, some loves are never forgotten. So listen to me, Test isn't totally unattainable, you just have to leave Hunter... but you won't, so what does it matter? Just continue being the bitch, oh and when you get back, don't bother even coming to talk to me, I don't care for the person you are anymore." Kurt sighed and walked out of Stephanie's locker-room.

"No Kurt wait!" Stephanie grabbed her bag and ran out of her locker-room but Kurt was already half way down the hall and she was late meeting Shane. Sighing, Stephanie walked out of the WWF arena and walked into the front of the arena, where Shane said he would be. Stephanie felt horrible, she snapped at her best friend, what was Kurt talking about? She only had one friend, and that was Kurt, although as bad as she said she hated Steve, he was sorta nice. But Kurt, he was her best friend, and she had treated him like shit, when he was only trying to give her some advice. The advice had made sense though, or at least she wanted it to, was Test still attainable? Did he still care about her? Did he have the room in his heart to give her another chance? And if so, would Hunter let her go that easy? Would Vince cheer her or boo her for her decision? 

"Where were you?" Shane asked as he pointed over to the black limo, he linked his arm with Stephanie's and pulled them over to the limo. "You're like 10 minutes late."

"Sorry." Stephanie said as she crawled into the limo with Shane right behind her. "Kurt wanted to talk." 

"How did it go?" Shane asked turning to Stephanie, once the limo started to drive off. 

"He hates me, and he is totally justified in it, I acted like the bitch I am." Stephanie frowned. She hated that label; bitch was such a crude word. 

"You're not, just confused and Kurt doesn't hate you, he's your friend." Shane responded. 

Stephanie didn't reply, but she heard the words, but just didn't reply. 

::: Outside of Vince's office :::

"This is ALL your fault!" Triple H screamed for the second time as him and Test stood outside of Vince's office. 

"My fault? Screw you Triple H! You were the one that threw me into the ropes." Test rolled his eyes, yelling back at Triple H with just as much force in his voice. 

"Well if you weren't always gawking at my wife and sticking your nose in our business then that would have never happened." Triple H said in a snotty tone. 

"If you were such a great husband, she would had never gotten hurt." Test replied.

Triple H snorted. "And you would had made such a better one?" 

"Better then you, yes. But you ruined that didn't you?" Test asked, his eyes glaring. 

"So what this whole hardcore matches shit was because you're bitter that Stephanie is my wife?" Hunter laughed. "You're pathetic." 

"Me? Pathetic? Look in the mirror Helmsley! At least I don't have to make up stupid foolish little kid names to make myself look bigger then I really am." Test pointed out.

"I got the girl didn't I?" Triple H smirked. 

"Yeah you got her alright but then you changed who she was!" Test screamed. 

"I did not! Plus Steph loves the new her!" Triple H yelled back.

"How can she? You made her into a slut, before she was beautiful and had dignity and you destroyed her, and everything she stood for. I fell in love with her because she was so beautiful and honest and real! You took her away from me for the money! The power! You made her into the trophy wife!" Test screamed, his voice raising higher. 

"She came to ME!" Triple H screamed, pointing out the obvious. 

"Doesn't mean she actually loves you!" Test said, his voice lowering, but never losing it's angry edge. 

Hunter had been taken back by Test's last words. "She's MY wife!" 

"I LOVE her!" Test screamed. 

Triple H bit down on his bottom lip. "So do I!" 

"You changed her..." Test said quietly, not wanting to get anymore attention. "If you loved her, the real her, then you would have never changed her. I would never had changed her for anything, I would have let her continue being the person she was happy being." 

"She WASN'T happy! That was the goddamn point! You DIDN'T see it, you couldn't, that was why she came to me! She was bitter and angry and she wanted revenge on her family." Triple said, also lowering his voice. 

"But you were just her revenge guy, I was the man she loved!" Test said, his eyes full of old pain. 

"LOVED! As in doesn't love anymore." Hunter retorted. 

"One day you are going to have the person you love the most torn away from you, and you are going to be heartbroken and you will finally know how I felt and still feel. You're going to want to hide from the outside world, you're going to think you can't bear the pain, and then once you think it's over... you're going to have to see her walking away with a man that isn't you, and then the pain will start all over again, and I won't feel sympathy for you." Test shook his head and walked away. 

****

NEXT IN THE TAINTED SERIES:

Stephanie and Shane have a heart to hear talk leading Stephanie to make a choice. 

Vince and Linda talk about Stephanie. 

Test fights in a match with Albert, bringing back up old pain. 


	5. The Letters

"Make yourself at home "Make yourself at home." Shane said as him and Stephanie walked into his summer cabin, Shane took off his coat and threw it on the couch. 

Stephanie shut the wooden door behind her; she dropped her black duffel bag in front of the door, as she made her way into the living room. If she wasn't in such a horrible mood because of how things went between her and Kurt, she would find it funny that Shane still came here for the summer. When they had been little kids Vince and Linda had always brought them to this cabin, and now here they were 20 something years later and Shane was still going to the same cabin. "I intend to." Stephanie said, as she walked into the furnished kitchen. Stephanie looked around the cabin; it had a feel to... a homey feel to it. She had always loved this place when she had been a little girl, her and Shane would spend hours sitting in front of the fireplace telling each other stories of the future that they would make up on the top of their heads while Vince read a book and Linda cooked. 

Shane shook his head at his sister's odd behavior, in the car she had been quiet as a mouse and now she was miss observe everything. "Marissa will be sorry she missed you, she went home for the summer, her father has come down with an illness and she had to fly home right away." 

Stephanie tore herself away from all of her thoughts and smiled sadly at Shane. "Oh that is horrible, I hope everything will turn out okay." 

Shane nodded. "They always do in her family, it's our family that tends to not get better." Shane walked into the kitchen, brushing past Stephanie slightly as he made his way over to the cream colored refrigerator, he grabbed a can of Pepsi and popped the top open. 

"True, our family is quite different from everybody else." Stephanie commented, as she grabbed a can of Pepsi as well, she popped the top open and took a sip. "We stab each other in the back, lie to one another... it's just one whole scandal after another in the McMahon family." 

Shane looked at Stephanie intently, hearing the truth in Stephanie's sarcasm. It was horrible in their family; their family hurt each other day after day and felt no remorse afterwards. That was how the McMahon family worked, they hurt each other and didn't offer no apology afterwards, because remorse wasn't something that they felt. Shane hadn't been able to feel remorse towards anything until recently, but now he felt more remorse then he thought he could bear; He felt remorse for not reaching out to Stephanie sooner, he felt remorse for letting the distance tear them apart, he felt remorse for not being the older brother he was born to be. But most of all he felt remorse for letting himself believe the lies Stephanie told him, all the times he had called her over the phone and swore he had heard her crying and when she said it was nothing... he felt remorse for believing it. He felt remorse for letting himself think that the makeup and the screeching was who Stephanie was... Stephanie wasn't the screeching princess in the ring, Stephanie was just Stephanie. She had a feel to her, there was just something about her. 

"You can go change in your bed clothes or whatever in the bathroom, it's pretty late, the drive took longer then I had expected it to." Shane pointed towards the bathroom. 

"I know where the bathroom is Shane, I used to come here in the summer too you know?" Stephanie walked over and grabbed her black duffel bag. 

"I thought you would have forgotten," Shane said quietly, he hadn't really expected to say the words, he was just thinking them. 

Stephanie turned around, once she heard Shane's soft voice, she was already halfway to the bathroom when Shane's voice entered her head. "How could I forget?" Stephanie asked, her voice just as quiet as Shane's had been. 

Shane shook his head, taking a sip of his soda. "You and Hunter go to a lot of places, real expensive and fancy places, why would a stupid cabin be planted in your memory?" Shane closed his eyes. 

"It's not stupid, I spent my life here..." Stephanie sighed and walked into the bathroom leaving Shane alone in the living room of the cabin.   
  


**::: Raw Is War Arena – Tulsa, Oklahoma :::**   
  


Test paced back and forth in his locker-room, his long blonde hair slicked back in a ponytail, his eyebrows knitted in concentration. He was already in his ring gear, but his mind was nowhere ready for the match he would have to fight tonight. Tonight Test was going to have to fight Albert in a table match; it was declared Vince had it in for him. Vince fully knew the history between Albert and Test and he knew that this would bring up bad memories, and Test knew for a fact that was why Vince was doing it. 

Albert had at one time been Test's friend... but that was before he had betrayed him. Test had never seen the betrayal coming, but of course he never did see the betrayals coming. First it had been Stephanie, and then once he thought he was in the cool zone, safe from any surprises, he had gotten the shit beat out of him by Albert and Trish's betrayal followed shortly behind Albert's. 

Test was sick of this... why was he the one that always got hurt by the people he cared about? Test had never asked to be the target of everybody's betrayals, but somehow he was... 

"You're up Test." A crewman said, walking past Test's room. 

Test nodded, grabbing his black tanktop, he slipped it over his head as he walked out the door and towards the ring. He didn't want to fight Albert tonight but that didn't mean he wouldn't... and WHEN he won tonight, he would have to make a mental note to throw it in Vince's face.   
  


**::: Hunter's Locker-room :::**   
  


Hunter paced in his locker-room, his eyes with a determined look in them, he had just gotten the news from Vince that Test was matched up to be in a table match against Albert. 

This was the perfect time to prove to Vince that he was mature enough to continue be the man that would make Stephanie happy. Vince wanted the war between him and Test to stop before Stephanie could come back, and tonight would be the first step to stop the war. Hunter didn't like Test, but to get Stephanie back he would have to make some sacrifices... plus what Test had said to him had freaked him out. 

Was Stephanie going to leave him? 

God Hunter couldn't even begin to imagine his life without Stephanie. Hunter, despite what everybody said about him had fallen for Stephanie McMahon. So in a way Hunter was exactly like Test, both of them loved her, hell both of them still love her... now it was just up to which one she would choose. 

Hunter had a feeling that he wouldn't be the one walking away with Stephanie. Hunter had the horrible feeling that Test's feelings for Stephanie weren't totally one sided. Was Test right? Was Hunter just the revenge guy? Was Test the guy she loved? Was Test the guy she stills loves? 

"Shit," Hunter hissed out underneath his breath, he picked up his jacket and ran out of his locker-room, his plan was already late in happening already.   
  


**::: Back at the cabin :::**   
  


Shane looked up when he heard footsteps coming out of the bathroom, but what he saw took his breath away. It was Stephanie, but without all the makeup. She was wearing a football jersey shirt and sweatpants, her brown hair was in a ponytail... she looked stunning, she finally looked like his little sister. 

"What do I look awful?" Stephanie asked looking down at her clothes. "Not Armani I know but we're in the middle of the forest in a cabin we haven't been to since we were 16, so I thought fancy lingerie was a big no since you're my brother and all." Stephanie smiled, walking over to where Shane was; she sat down next to him. 

"Well thank you for the consideration, I would feel a little uncomfortable." Shane smirked, turning to her. "You look beautiful." 

Stephanie blushed, playing with a loose strand of her hair, which had fallen out of her ponytail. "Thanks for whisking me off and bringing me here, it's just what I needed. Things are so bad lately, the Hunter and Test thing and then what happened between me and Kurt..." 

"Which was?" Shane asked, smiling. 

"Kurt came to me, telling me how Hunter was all bad for me and how I deserved better and I turned on him. I think I really hurt his feelings, he told me when I got back not even to bother calling him. Not being friends with Kurt feels bad, Kurt has been my best friend when I needed one... he brings a lot of sanity in my life, even though at one time he had tried to break my marriage apart. Kurt is my best friend, and I think I lost him... because of Hunter." Stephanie frowned. 

"Is Hunter worth it Steph? I mean is he really worth it? Losing Kurt as your friend seems to really bother you, and Hunter wouldn't even care..." Shane stopped. 

"He probably wouldn't. Hunter doesn't like me hanging out with Kurt, he says Kurt is all bad for me." Stephanie rolled her eyes. 

"How about the other way around Steph? I hate to say this, but I agree with Kurt. Hunter is wrong for you, he always has been, I know you wanted revenge on me and dad, but that revenge has happened... you don't have to stay with Hunter." Shane looked into Stephanie's eyes, locking into her brown eyes. 

Stephanie sighed. "Because if I leave Hunter, I'll be kicked out of the family." 

Shane shook his head. "Is that why you have stuck with Hunter for so long? Steph, dad loves you more then life, he would never do that to you." 

"But he did it to you." Stephanie pointed out. 

"He doesn't love me the way he loves you. Steph you are daddy's little girl, he adores the ground you walk on. Dad always wanted a girl; he just got me first. Everything you have ever done dad supported you in, I was just the son that he occasionally talked to." Shane smiled sadly. 

"Dad loves you." Stephanie grabbed Shane's hand. "I love you." 

Shane smiled; the sad look was off of his face. "I love you too Stephanie, that is why I am trying to make you see that you have to make a choice. Whatever choice you make I will be right by you... but I just want you to make the right one." 

Stephanie nodded. "I will."   
  


**::: Raw Is War – Test VS. Albert – Table Match :::**   
  


Test laid on his back, trying to catch his breath; he had forgotten how strong Albert really was, and the fact that X-Pac and Justin Credible were sneaking moves in when the ref wasn't looking, was not helping matters at all. Test did NOT want to lose to Albert, after everything that they had been through, Test wanted to come out on top, but he doubted that he would... Albert was just too damn strong for him. 

_"It looks like Test is going to lose this match..." _JR's voice paraded in Test's ear. 

Usually Test would be pissed off to hear something like that, but right now all he could think about was the pain. He had gotten the bronco buster by X-Pac, a german suplex by Justin Credible, and a body slam off of the top turnbuckle by Albert. 

_"This does not look good for Test. This has been a hectic week for Test. First his war with Big Show and then his war with Triple H... and Stephanie's injury seems to have affected him as well." _Michael Cole replied, speaking into his headset. 

Test groaned as he felt himself being lifted by Albert, this was it... he was going through a table... this was going to hurt like hell. Test squirmed a bit, hoping that he would be able to counter the move, but Albert's hold on him was too strong. He was going through that wooden table one way or the other... there was no way out of this. 

_"Albert is setting Test up for the slam through the table... it looks like this is the end..." _JR said warily. 

Test felt himself being lifted up even higher, damn it Albert was going to make this as torturous as possible. 

_"Oh wait! What the –-- Triple H is running towards the ring!" _Michael Cole said shocked. 

Hunter slid into the ring and kicked Albert in the face, making Albert drop Test. Hunter kicked Albert in the face one more time, making Albert fall to the mat floor, Hunter set Albert up for the pedigree, once he did the move Hunter slid back out of the ring, attacking X-Pac and Justin Credible. 

Test pushed himself up, he took a deep breath and picked up Albert; He hoisted Albert in the air and threw him through the table, winning the match. 

_"I can't believe this! Test was going to go through that table but Triple H interfered in the match, costing Albert the lose, and Test the win!" _JR exclaimed. 

_"What is going on? What was Triple H thinking?" _Michael Cole shook his head. 

Test rolled out of the ring once the bell rung indicating that Test had won the match; Test looked over at Triple H who was making his way over. "What the hell was that?!" Test exclaimed as him and Triple H ran backstage. 

"I helped you win the match." Hunter stated. 

"Yeah I know, but why?" Test turned to Hunter, raising his eyebrow. 

"Because I don't want to lose Steph." Hunter said before walking away.   
  


**::: Vince's Office :::**   
  


Vince stared at the image of his soon to be ex-wife, still shocked that she was standing in his office. "So Linda, what the hell do you want? To make more demands on how to run my company? Or how to raise my daughter? Because I already got that from Shane, and I don't need to hear it twice." 

Linda shook her head. "Hear me out Vince, because that young woman you call your daughter, just happens to be my daughter as well. She used to love me; she used to be proud to call me her mother, until you made her choose. Vince... you made my daughter choose sides..." 

Vince shook his head. "And she chose me." 

"Of course she did Vince, you're her father, her favorite parent, she's your baby girl. Who else would she have chosen? Me? Please. Hell would have frozen over before she chose me over you. But one thing will always be certain, I love that girl to death, and I always will." Linda planted her hands on her hips, giving Vince a look. 

"I love Stephanie too, I always have." Vince stood up. 

"Then treat her right, she is going to make a decision and Vince stand by her no matter what choice she makes." Linda shook her head and left Vince's office before he could say anything in response. 

It had taken a lot of guts on her part to even go to Vince and demand something of him, Vince had broken her heart and her spirit at one time. But there was one thing more important then what happened between her and Vince in the past and that was their daughter. THEIR daughter... Linda smiled, as much as she hated Vince... they did make two wonderful things... Shane and Stephanie. Shane and Stephanie were the only things that would ever keep Linda and Vince tied together no matter what, Shane and Stephanie were the reason they stayed together so long.   
  


**::: Back at the cabin :::**   
  


Shane threw in another log on the fire; he looked at the flames for a second, a little mesmerized by it for a few seconds. "I love the fire." Shane muttered. 

Stephanie looked up from the notebook she was writing, and smirked. "You always have, I always thought you would grow up to be a pyromaniac." 

Shane turned around laughing. "What are you writing?" Shane asked walking back over to Stephanie. 

Stephanie scooted over so Shane could sit down next to her. "A letter." 

"To who?" Shane asked, once he sat down next to Stephanie. 

"To Hunter and Andrew. I think first off I need to write what I am feeling before I actually tell them, letters are easy, they don't have to see your emotions in a letter, all they have to do is read the words." Stephanie looked down at the paper. 

"Have you written anything yet?" Shane looked over Stephanie's shoulder. 

"No, it's hard. I mean how do you write a letter that is two years overdue?" Stephanie looked at Shane, looking for an answer. 

"The best way you can. I'll leave you alone to write your letter." Shane pushed himself up; he kissed Stephanie on the forehead before disappearing into the back room of the cabin. 

Stephanie watched Shane go to the back room of the cabin, she watched the spot that he was for a few seconds before adverting her eyes back down to her notebook, she knew she had to do this but writing what she wanted to say to the two men in her life felt so hard to do. 

Stephanie picked up the pencil again, determined to write this letter, she HAD to. Stephanie couldn't hide behind the lies anymore, she needed the truth to come out, and even if that meant being kicked out of the family... at least she would have Shane by her side no matter what. "I'll write Hunter's first." Stephanie muttered.   
  


**::: Hunter's hotel room :::**   
  


Hunter walked up to the clerk, and smiled at him. "Do I have any calls or mail?" 

The clerk behind the desk looked up nodding. "In fact you do Mr. Helmsley, a letter from Stephanie McMahon, your wife." 

Hunter smiled instantly when the clerk told him he had a letter from Stephanie, but what he didn't understand was how it got here. Stephanie was at least a day away in postage wise, unless Shane had driven all the way here just to deliver the letter, and if so why didn't Shane stick around? "Thanks." Hunter said absentmindedly as he walked away with the letter in his hand; he didn't like the feeling he was getting from the letter. 

Hunter pushed the hotel door open and walked into his hotel, shutting the door behind him, he looked down at the face of the letter. He stared at the name she put on as the returning address: 

Stephanie McMahon 

She had used her maiden name, without the "Helmsley" added to the end of it, she never did that anymore. Something was up, and Hunter could feel it, he was getting a really bad feeling about this letter. Why had Shane come all this way to give him a letter? And why not give it to him in person? Hunter sighed, and opened up the letter, he took the letter out and began reading it: 

_Dear Hunter,_

_Hey it's Steph, but you probably already guessed that by now. You're probably asking yourself why... or how this letter got to you and so fast. I had Shane drive to the hotel I knew you were at, so you would get this letter immediately, so that is how it got to you so fast, but for the why question...._

_Hunter, lately I have been thinking.... Thinking about the reason why I married you, I know what that reason is... I needed revenge. I needed revenge on my father and my brother for the stuff they put me through, I needed that revenge so badly, and you were the only person I could get that revenge with. I left everything that was going to be my perfect life and I ran away with you..._

_It's been one hell of a ride Hunter Hearst Helmsley. But like all fun and exciting rides, they must come to an end, and then you have to face the reality that it was just a ride..._

_Hunter, for two long years I have stayed by your side doing what you asked me to do with no questions asked. I was your supporter when you needed it, I was your sidekick in crime when your buddies weren't there for you, and I was the bitch when you needed me to be that. I betrayed my family so many times because it was what you wanted, but I'm sick of it, sick of it all Hunter._

_I'm not the desperate woman that came to you begging for your help, I'm not the lost little girl anymore, I'm not the backstabber I once was._

_I have grown, especially in this past week... and that injury on Smackdown has made me see everything crystal clear._

_Hunter you are a terrific man, you really are, you're just not the man that is perfect for me. I need someone who I can be myself with; I need to be with someone who doesn't freak out when I want to hang out with Kurt Angle. I need to be with someone who can see that I'm not just a McMahon... but that I am Stephanie._

_Stephanie. That one word symbolizes me._

_I'm strong, I'm beautiful, and I'm a fighter._

_I'm not a princess, I'm not a bitch, and I'm NOT a slut._

_Nor have I ever been a "slut", that word is such a crude thing to say, the most horrible thing you can call a female and I know that you have never thought of me that way, but when I'm with you that is what I am._

_I may have lost my best friend because of you, would you care? Have you ever? You've isolated me Hunter, and now it's my time to breathe. It's time for me to start thinking for me... it's over Hunter._

_I know that this is the right decision, even if it does hurt you. You can't make me love you... I love you Hunter, just not the way you love me, the way you want me to love you. I love you as my best friend... of course after Kurt; you are my friend Hunter. You stood by me when everybody else hated me, even when I was having problems with my dad, you were there. I appreciate the time we had with each other; it will be two years I will never forget._

_This would the part where I said I wasted two years of my life being married to you, but I haven't wasted anything. Because those two years were everything to me, you made me into someone Hunter, and for that I will always remember you as the man that showed me who I was._

_Goodbye Hunter._

_Love,_   
_Stephanie McMahon_

_P.S. Call me when you need a friend, I'll be there._

Hunter stared at the letter in shock, he had just lost Stephanie, he had just lost the woman he loved.   
  


**::: Test's hotel room :::**   
  


Test walked up the clerk behind the desk; he smiled warmly at the middle-aged man. "Hey Arnold, do I have any mail?" Test pushed the hair out of his eyes. 

Arnold looked up and smiled at Test, Arnold grabbed a letter and looked at it for a few seconds, Arnold had got to know Test in the past two years, and he knew that this letter would mean something to Test. "Hey Test, yeah actually you do have a letter, from Stephanie." 

Test's eyes widened a bit in shock and stayed that way for a few seconds, before actually grabbing the letter from Arnold. "Stephanie?" Test asked confused. 

"Yes, Shane McMahon came by earlier and dropped it off with a letter also for Hunter. Shane seemed in a hurry but he said for me to tell you to read that letter, and that the contents of that letter was very urgent." 

Test frowned. "So it's from Shane." 

Arnold instantly recognized the disappointment in Test's voice. "No from Stephanie, Shane was just dropping it off, Mr. Helmsley picked his up about 10 minutes ago." 

Test nodded, holding the letter, it was probably just a stupid letter saying that Stephanie never loved him. "Thanks, I'll go put this in the trash can right away." 

Arnold reached for Test's arm, grabbing his attention. "Shane said it was VERY urgent for you to read that letter, you might as well check it out." 

Test shrugged. "Yeah fine, talk to you later Arnold." Test walked off. 

Test swiped his key card opening his hotel room up; he shut the door behind him, throwing the letter on his bed. Test walked into the bathroom peeling out of his tight shirt, and kicking his black boots off; Test grabbed a t-shirt and some sweats and changed into them. 

It had been a long day, after he had beat Albert in the table match with a little help from Hunter, he had a run in with Trish, and the two exchanged a few insults... him calling her a slut, and her slapping the hell out of him before stalking off in her high heeled boots... probably going to find Steve Blackman. After the Trish incident Test had run into Kane and The Undertaker and made the mistake of brining up Sara, which seemed to infuriate both of the tall men, he had to hightail it out of the arena before the two extremely tall brothers kicked his ass. He had then went to get some dinner and bumped into Linda and Mick Foley, who had chatted his ear off, and then after dinner he had finally gotten to the hotel to find out he had a letter from Stephanie waiting for him. 

"Let's see what dear little Steph had to say." Test muttered as he walked out of the bathroom and over to his bed, where the letter still was. Test picked up the letter, turning it over in his hands, examining it. "Here goes nothing..." Test opened the envelope and pulled the letter out, devouring the text of the letter:   
  


_Dear Andrew,_

_I know I am the last one you ever expected to write you a letter, but saying the things that are in my heart are easier on a piece of paper then in person._

_There are so many unspoken words between us, so many things that should have been done that weren't. So many "I'm sorry's" that you never got from me. There were so many times that we called each other names, instead of actually saying what needed to be said._

_Let's see; let me start with an explanation. I know you think you know why I left you at the altar, but you need to hear the whole truth from me... you deserve that much._

_My father and my brother put me through hell, I was so innocent back then and everybody in the WWF thought they could take advantage of me because of that. My father enlisted me into all of his conflict with Steve and Shane literally handed me over to The Undertaker without a second thought. Back then Mark was so scary, I was just a scared young woman who was being forced to marry a man that I didn't love, Mark had scared me so bad... and all I wanted was to be with you and not in the middle of a black wedding ritual... when Steve came and saved me, it was like I was seeing an angel... haha Stone Cold Steve Austin a angel... I know it's hilarious. But he was to me, he saved me when I needed a savior the most, but even though he saved me, the nightmare wasn't over._

_Night after night, I had nightmares of what happened, I was so scared, and as much as I wanted to tell you... I couldn't find it in my heart to. It wasn't because I didn't trust you, or that I didn't love you... maybe I never told you about my nightmares, because I loved you too much to make you see what happened._

_My need to get revenge on Shane and daddy became overbearing; all I can think about was getting revenge because they hurt me so badly. So when you were out of town doing a signing, I went to Hunter. He was hanging out with X-Pac and Chyna, it was when Hunter was with Chyna, and I asked if I could speak with him. Hunter and I went to his locker-room so we could be alone and I asked him if he could help me get revenge on my dad and Shane. Hunter instantly agreed and we came up with the plan of us getting married, knowing that it would hurt dad and Shane in the worst way. Hunter was so devious from the beginning, he knew everything to do and how to do it, and I just followed along._

_My need for revenge was so powerful that I couldn't see anything past it, to get what I wanted I had to look past love, I had to let you go. It hurt me like crazy Andrew, it really did, but I was in a bad place back then, like I said revenge was all that mattered._

_I know I hurt you and I'm sorry, I'm sorry that you had to feel pain because of what I did, you never deserved to be hurt. I never planned to hurt you, but in the end I did, didn't I? Because you loved me, and I stabbed you in the back._

_Two years have passed since my fatal decision, and now I am faced with another..._

_You and Hunter... you two are probably the hardest choices I will ever have to make. Because you two... both of you... have been such an influence on me, and in the best ways. But I can't keep going on like this, it's draining the age out of me... it's killing me..._

_Shane says I need to make a choice, and he's completely right. I can't keep prolonging my choice, hoping that I won't have to make one..._

_Life isn't that easy... it's hard and it's everyday, but I know I can do it, I know now that I am capable of doing something on my own._

_See Hunter changed me, he made me see the person who I was to be... and forever will be... but you Andrew Martin, completed me. You came in my life and filled that void, that empty space inside of me... you made me open my heart up to love._

_You probably never knew this... but I LOVE you Andrew, I always have, and yes always will. See years can go by and we may never see each other again after you read this letter, but my love for you will always be true. It will never go away, because some loves NEVER go away, even though sometimes you pray for them to so you can go on with your life... but the real type of loves stay around forever._

_For the first time in my life, I am seeing things for what they really are..._

_I am NOT a slut. I never was, was I? You hear it so many times, you start to believe it..._

_Am I slut Andrew? Please you are the only that can tell me. I need to hear your voice tell me that you think that I am worthy of your attention... please I need to know that I'm not who everybody thinks I am..._

_Andrew, upon reading this letter, you may hate me or love me, whatever choice you make is up to you..._

_I've already made my choice... my heart belongs to you._

_Love,_   
_Stephanie McMahon___

Test stared down at the letter he had just finished reading, his eyes with a soft look in them. Had Stephanie really wrote this? Was he really reading this letter? A letter with so much emotion and beauty in it, that it made him want to call her up and tell her how much he loved her?

He never knew that Stephanie McMahon felt all those things, and that she could write them down. He had expected a letter saying how Hunter rocked her world, and she didn't ever want him near her again... but instead he got a letter that had so much raw emotion that it was almost unbearable to read without breaking down. 

If all the WWF fans read this letter, they would regret what they said about Stephanie... 

Hell, he regretted what he said about Stephanie... but what was he going to do about it now?   
  
NEXT IN THE TAINTED SERIES: Stephanie returns to the WWF to find out her two letters affected more then Andrew and Hunter.

Stephanie tries to make amends for how she treated Kurt. 

Vince stands by his daughter. 

Stephanie makes some new friends. 


	6. New Friends

dsdgsd "I don't know about this Shane." Stephanie looked over to Shane with an uncertain look in her eyes. 

The truth be told, she was afraid to go back to the WWF, one reason being that she no had none friends since Kurt wasn't exactly on best terms with her, and the second reason being that she had wrote two very emotional letters to Hunter and Test and she didn't know how they would react to her presence. Would they be mad? Would they hate her? Would they be uncertain of their emotions about her? But what most scared her about coming back to the WWF was Test... she had put all of the emotions she had inside of her in the letter she wrote him, she had almost told Shane not to give it to Test, but in the end she knew that she had to let him know the whole truth. Stephanie was never really good with her emotions, partially because she never had the use of emotions when she was with Hunter.... 

But she wasn't with Hunter anymore was she? Well they were married, but her letter to him had declared that they were over, could it be that easy? Had Hunter shown Vince the letter she wrote? Would Vince be on her side? Probably not, Vince would probably take Hunter's side on this subject... if so, where did that leave her? 

"Stephanie, you have nothing to worry about. We walk into the arena, and act like everything is normal. You were gone because you were spending some quality time with your older brother, which is fully true." Shane smiled. 

Stephanie stared at Shane, and smiled to herself. If Vince took Hunter's side on the ending of their marriage... Stephanie knew where that left her, that left her with Shane. And thinking about it now, that wasn't such a bad thing; Stephanie in the past few weeks had got reacquainted with her older brother, she had remembered how much she had loved Shane before. Stephanie felt like she wasn't alone anymore, she felt like whatever choice she made, she would at least have Shane by her side, and that felt really good. 

"But Shane, what about the letters?" Stephanie's eyes begged for an answer from Shane. 

Shane stared at Stephanie as the limo took off heading towards the Smackdown arena for tonight; Shane looked into Stephanie's eyes and saw the pleading look in her eyes, she was depending on him to give her an answer. Shane hadn't seen that look in Stephanie's eyes so long, for two whole years, Stephanie hadn't depended on him, for two years Shane had been second best in Stephanie's eyes and now he was first best, he was the one that she was going to when she had a problem, and god that felt good. 

"What about them? You wrote two very truthful and emotional letters, that I am very proud of you for writing them. And if Hunter and Andrew have a problem with those letters, they can come to me and I'll settle it. They're jackasses if they give you problems because of what you wrote, it took a lot out of you to write those letters and there is no way in hell that they are going to take that away from you." Shane narrowed his eyes. 

Stephanie giggled. "Whoa Shane, calm down, my big bad protector. I'm just worried that's all, I mean nobody likes me but you, and daddy... if him anymore." Stephanie looked down at her shoes. 

Shane shook his head, why was Stephanie so down on herself all the time? He hated it when she thought no one liked her; The only reason people didn't like her was because of how she had been when she was with Hunter, but when the fans and all the other wrestlers saw Stephanie now, they would be nicer, because Stephanie was nicer. They would regret everything they said about her, they would re-think the way they treated her, and there was no way in hell that they would call her those names anymore... and if they did, they would be in a lot of pain. 

"Look Steph, when you walk into that arena and the wrestlers and the fans see you, they are going to be in shock at how much of a dignified woman you are. I want you to walk into that arena with me, with your head held up high, because there is no way I am going to let them bring you down. Just look at you Steph." Shane smiled. 

Stephanie looked down at her wardrobe, she was definitely dressed differently from how she usually dressed. She was wearing a brown long sleeved sweater that belonged to Shane, the sleeves were a bit too long for her and came all the way down to the tip of her finger-tips; She had on long brown khakis that came down to the white tennis shoes that she was wearing; Her long brown hair was up in a tight pony-tail, and she was hardly wearing any makeup at all, actually the only makeup she had on was lipgloss. 

"I look gruesome." Stephanie muttered, messing with a loose strand of her hair. 

Shane sighed and smacked Stephanie's hand playfully. "You look beautiful now shut up." 

Stephanie laughed, rolling her eyes. "Yes your majesty."   


**::: Smackdown Arena - Rochester, Vermont :::**   


Test paced back and forth in his locker-room, his eyebrows knitted in determination; Test had heard from Christian that Stephanie and Shane were on their way to the Smackdown arena, and Test had figured this would be the perfect time to talk to Stephanie about the letter she had written him. He would have called her, but he didn't even know where Shane had taken her, so he had to wait 3 weeks just to be able to speak to her, and what a torturous three weeks that had been, especially with Hunter Hearst Helmsley pissed off about the fact that Stephanie's letter to him hadn't exactly been filled with love. 

Hunter had immediately gone to Test, screaming about how Test had cheated his way back into Stephanie's heart; Hunter had then thrown the letter he got from Stephanie and stomped off. After reading the letter, Test had even a bigger urge to talk to Stephanie... was Stephanie really falling back in love with him? Did he really have a chance with Stephanie? Did he even want one? Test didn't want the Stephanie that had left the WWF, he wanted to be with the beautiful young woman who had written him the beatiful letter, Test wanted to be with the girl who had walked into the WWF and stolen his heart two years ago. 

"Hey," Kurt said walking into Test's locker-room. 

Over the past three weeks Kurt and Test had become friends, often sharing little secrets about how much they hated Hunter or which Stephanie they liked the best. Test had been shocked at how much he really did like Kurt, he had always thought Kurt was such a egostical jerk, but in the end Test had learned Kurt really did have a heart. 

"Hey Kurt, what's up?" Test stopped pacing, and flashed a smile at Kurt. 

"The WCW limo has just pulled up." Kurt arched his eyebrows, smirking. 

Kurt knew how much Test still loved Stephanie, and even if Kurt wasn't talking with Stephanie at the moment, it didn't mean he didn't want Stephanie to be happy, and Kurt had a feeling that Test could make Stephanie happy. Kurt pointed out the window, over to a black limo where Shane was getting out of. 

Test followed Kurt's gaze, and turned away before Stephanie got out. "Okay, she's here..." 

Kurt smirked. "She's here." Kurt repeated Test's words. 

"So what do I do now? Go up and talk to her? Or wait for her to come to me? Or do I pretend to accidently bump into her, and somehow slide into a conversation with her? Do I bring up the letters? Or act like everything is normal?" Test looked at Kurt for answers. 

Kurt laughed. "Do what comes natural." Kurt turned to leave. 

"You call that good advice? You suck Kurt." Test pulled his hair into a pony-tail. 

"Think what you will." Kurt walked out of Test's locker-room smiling the whole time. 

If there were ever two people that desparetly needed to get together, it was Stephanie and Test. Now only if they could see that and get past all their past problems and admit that they loved each other... but of course that would be too easy, and nothing was easy in the WWF.   


**::: Outside of the arena :::**

Stephanie crawled out of the limo slowly, she put both of her feet on the ground, and then emerged the rest of her body out of the black limo that had the plate "WCW1" on the back. Stephanie looked around her surroundings once she got out of the limo. 

They were in Rochester, Vermont tonight, and Rochester was looking beautiful. Stephanie really didn't like the sights of Vermont in the summer or fall or even the spring, she only liked Vermont in the winter. Vermont was the most beautiful scene in the winter, everything frozen, icicles hanging on the edges of things. Stephanie loved winter, she loved everything about it... especially Christmas. Christmas was her favorite holiday, she loved Christmas, it made her feel like a little girl all over again, and she loved that feeling. 

"It's beautiful here." Stephanie mumbled to herself, but had also gotten Shane's attention. 

Shane pointed over to a place he wanted the limo driver to park, after the limo driver took off, Shane turned to Stephanie once he heard her hushed words. Shane had to agree, Vermont was looking incredibly beautiful right now, Shane looked around... it was probably going to snow later. Snow, was the first indication that Christmas was almost here, Shane looked away from Stephanie and saw Test making his way over to them. 

"Hey Steph, looks like you've got company." Shane pointed over to Test. 

Stephanie looked at Test who was making his way over, he had on a thick coat and gloves from what she could see, Stephanie bit down on her bottom lip. "I'll see you inside Shane?" 

Shane nodded, and smiled warmly at Test when he walked over to them. "Don't give her shit." Shane whispered into Test's ear before running off to the entrance of the Smackdown arena.   


**::: Hunter's locker-room :::**

Hunter stared out of his locker-room window, his eyes beady in anger. Test had just made his way over to Stephanie, but from the looks of it, they hadn't said anything to each other yet. 

That didn't ease his anger at the situation... Hunter had lost Stephanie and now Test was going in for the kill, and to make things worse, Vince was taking Stephanie's side on this. Vince had told him if Stephanie wanted a divorce that he would fully support his daughter's decision, and then he had actually warned Hunter not to say or do anything hurful to his baby girl. 

So much for knowing who you could trust, Hunter thought as he continued to watch Test and Stephanie, who hadn't said a word to each other yet. They were just staring at each other; Hunter eyed Stephanie carefully from his window, and saw that she was dressed completely different. She was wearing a sweater and pants, she wasn't wearing her usual clothing... she looked so... like the old Stephanie. 

"Damn it!" Hunter screaming, kicking the chair in his locker-room.   


**::: Outside of the arena :::**

"Hi," Stephanie finally said, not being able to bear the silence anymore. 

Test shook his head, tearing himself away from his thoughts; Test smiled at Stephanie, showing that he wasn't here to say something mean or to ridicule her, and that he was actually here to talk to her. 

"Hey Stephanie, look about this..." Test took out his letter and flipped it over in his hands. "This letter... it was wow. I didn't know you felt this way..." 

"You didn't know I even felt." Stephanie said softly, cutting Test off. 

Test stared at Stephanie, a little surprised by her words, but more hurt by the truth behind them. Test hadn't even thought before the letter she wrote him, that Stephanie felt things. Now he felt damn foolish for thinking those things, Test shook his head. 

"I didn't come here to fight." Test stated. 

"And I didn't come back to fight some more. I want the fighting to be over with Andrew, that is why I wrote those letters. I don't want to fight anymore." Stephanie said bravely, but then automatically shivered afterwards when a hard wind blew across her face. Shane's sweater wasn't enough to keep her warm, and she didn't want to go inside yet. 

Test put the letter back in his pants pocket and looked at Stephanie once he saw her shiver; "Here." Test took off the big, thick coat he was wearing and handed it to Stephanie. 

"You'll freeze." Stephanie exclaimed, looking at Test shocked. 

"No I won't, but you will if you don't take the coat, go ahead take it." Test said, smiling. 

Stephanie shook her head and slipped into the coat Test had given her; It smelled of him, and it was a wonderful scent. The coat was so warm, and if she closed her eyes, Stephanie could swear she could see Test's arms around her... but she didn't close her eyes, she needed to be on this plane, not in fantasy land. 

"Thanks," Stephanie smiled. "Look Andrew, I know that you're not going to stop hating me just because I wrote you that dumb letter..." 

Test shook his head. "It wasn't dumb, I loved it." Test looked behind him, but then turned back to Stephanie. "And I never hated you Stephanie McMahon." 

Stephanie went to say something, but looked up when she felt the first few snowflakes fall on top of head; Stephanie smiled at the snowflakes falling down a little faster. "It's snowing..." Stephanie whispered. 

Test looked up once he heard Stephanie's hushed statement; Test could see the snowflakes surrounding them, he watched the icy flakes get lost in Stephanie's hair, making her look more beautiful then she already had been. 

"I think we should get inside." Test said quietly. 

Stephanie looked away from the snow and nodded. "Yeah, so I'll catch you later?" Stephanie asked. 

Test nodded. "Yeah definitely." 

Stephanie smiled and ran into the arena, leaving Test behind. Test ran his hands over his face as he watched Stephanie disappear into the Smackdown arena. 

_I dont know when we fell apart_   
_The love that we had was like a work of art_   
_I used to see heaven in your eyes_   
_Now angels are falling from your skies_

_The things we said, were so wrong_   
_I havent held you for so long_   
_My foolish pride, turns me inside_   
_Why did we tell all thoes lies?_   
_You can reach for the phone,_   
_You dont have to be alone._

_Outside the winter seems so cold_   
_Your heart is frozen like the snow_   
_And there's no one home, to keep you safe and warm_   
_Your eyes are red because you cry_   
_You fell asleep by the fire side_   
_But there's one thing you should know_   
_On this christmas baby, you dont have to be alone_

_I have only one wish on my list_   
_For me you would be the perfect gift, oohh yeah, yeah_   
_There's nothing colder than an empty home_   
_And holidays were never meant to be alone_

_The smiles we gave when our hearts were safe_   
_By each others love and warmth_   
_Thats subsided now, no happiness around_   
_If I could only find a way to your heart_

_Outside the winter seems so cold_   
_Your heart is frozen like the snow_   
_And there's no one home, to keep you safe and warm_   
_Your eyes are red because you cry_   
_You fell asleep by the fire side_   
_But there's one thing you should know_   
_On this christmas baby, you dont have to be alone_

_You dont...have to be alone_   
_You dont have to be...all alone at home_   
_You dont...have...to be alone_   
_You dont have to be alone_

_Outside the winter seems so cold_   
_Your heart is frozen like the snow_   
_And there's no one home, to keep you safe and warm_   
_Your eyes are red because you cry_   
_You fell asleep by the fire side_   
_But there's one thing you should know_   
_On this christmas baby, you dont have to be alone_   


**::: Inside the arena :::**

Stephanie walked through the halls, whistling a tune, she wasn't really sure what it was. Did her and Test really a converstation? That didn't consist of him being disgusted by her? This was too good to be true.

"Watch out!" Jericho's voice screamed at everybody as he got thrown into the hall by Stone Cold Steve Austin; Jericho landed on top of Stephanie, plowing her down to the ground, smashing her head into the concrete.

Benoit kicked Stone Cold in the face and sent him running down the hall in a different direction when Benoit went to hit him with a chair; Benoit shook his head and ran over to Jericho who was slowly pushing himself up. "Are you okay buddy?"

Jericho rubbed his head. "I am but I don't think she is." Jericho pushed himself up all the way, and groaned when he saw it was Stephanie he had landed on top of. "Of course I had to land on top of miss spoiled."

Benoit cracked a smile, but then frowned. "Nevertheless she's a human being."

Jericho rolled his eyes. "Are you so sure?"

Benoit threw Jericho a look, and not a nice one. "Leopards change their spots."

Jericho crossed his arms across his chest, not being affected by Benoit's glare. "Nott his one. She's a no good---"

Benoit glared more evily at Jericho, cutting Jericho off before he could call Stephanie any hurtful names. "Stop being an ass." Benoit walked over to Stephanie, and pulled her up and cradeled her in his arms.

"I am NOT being an ass! And where are you going to take her?" Jericho walked up to Benoit.

"To my locker-room." Benoit stated, pushing some hair out of Stephanie's face.

Jericho shook his head no. "No way! We share a locker-room... I don't want her there."

Benoit rolled his eyes. "Stop being rude."

"I'm NOT! Why are you suddenly being so nice to her?" Jericho raised his eyebrows.

"I read her letter." Benoit said, walking down the hall.

"What letter?" Jericho said, following Benoit.

"Ask Test." Benoit said, and walked down the hall, ignoring Jericho the rest of the time.   


**::: Inside Jericho and Benoit's locker-room :::******

Stephanie mumbled, pushing herself up; She opened her eyes and scanned her surroundings. Where was she? How did she get here? She remembered walking down the hall of the Smackdown arena, and then she remembered someome yelling to watch out, and that everything had gone black.

"Feeling better?" Benoit asked, putting some ice on Stephanie's head.

Stephanie jumped at the action, but then relaxed under Benoit's touch, realizing that he was just putting ice on her head, which was where she was hurting the most. "How did I get here?" Stephanie looked up at Benoit.

"We carried you here." Jericho said, smiling softly at Stephanie. He had just gotten done reading Stephanie's letters to Hunter and Andew, and finally realized why Benoit was being so nice to Stephanie.

Stephanie stared at Jericho, surprised that he was being so nice to her, he was usually so mean to her. "I-- what happened to me?"

Benoit sat down. "Austin attacked Jericho from the behind, sent him flying right towards you. You hit your head pretty bad, we had the medics check you out, you're going to be fine, you just got a big bump on that head of yours. The bump has swelled down, so you're free to go." Benoit took the ice off Stephanie's head.

"But you can stay if you like." Jericho chimed in.

Stephanie stared back and forth to Jericho and Benoit and smiled. "You know I would like that."   


**NEXT IN THE TAINTED SERIES:******

Stephanie gets some more friends with the help of Jericho and Benoit, and she gets an old one back.

Test's feelings for Stephanie continue to grow.

Vince and Linda get together with Shane to plan the perfect Christmas. 


	7. Christmas, where are you?

tainted _Where are you Christmas_   
_Why can't I find you_   
_Why have you gone away_   
_Where is the laughter_   
_You used to bring me_   
_Why can't I hear music play_   
_My world is changing_   
_I'm rearranging_   
_Does that mean Christmas changes too___

_Where are you Christmas_   
_Do you remember_   
_The one you used to know_   
_I'm not the same one_   
_See what the time's done_   
_Is that why you have let me go___

_Christmas is here_   
_Everywhere, oh_   
_Christmas is here_   
_If you care, oh___

_If there is love in your heart and your mind_   
_You will feel like Christmas all the time___

_I feel you Christmas_   
_I know I've found you_   
_You never fade away_   
_The joy of Christmas_   
_Stays here in silence_   
_Fills each and every heart with love___

_Where are you Christmas_   
_Fills your heart with love___

_- Faith Hill "Where are you Christmas"_   


"What is it about the first few days before Christmas make things seem to be so magical?" Stephanie asked Shane as she walked into the department of the store.

Shane shrugged. "I don't know, everything about Christmas is magical to me, oh how about this?" Shane picked up a package of assorted varieties of boxers and showed them to Stephanie.

Stephanie scrunched up her nose. "You don't buy your father boxers for Christmas!" Stephanie grabbed the package out of Shane's hands and threw them over where he got them.

Shane sighed, how in the world had he gotten talked into doing Christmas shopping with Stephanie was beyond him, and especially 3 days before Christmas. There was hardly anything left, well anything good, well you could always go to the most expensive shops, which were at least two hours away from where they were, but those kind of shops always were in stock with Christmas presents.

"What about a tie? Dads likes ties." Shane looked at Stephanie hopefully.

Stephanie shook her head. "Normal dads like ties, but our dad is no regular type of dad. We're talking about expensive here Shane, not some one dollar tie that I could get at the 98 cents store."

Shane rolled his eyes. "Oh excuse me, I'm not the person who decided to do her Christmas shopping three days before Christmas." Shane looked through some shirts.

"Well I would have been able to do my Christmas shopping earlier, but I was under captive, if you can remember." Stephanie smiled at Shane and grabbed a pair of long pants and threw them in the shopping cart.

Shane rolled his eyes. "You were never under captive, I treated you very well." Shane threw a few sweaters in the shopping cart.

"You beat me with pillows." Stephanie pointed, placing her hands on her hips, smirking.

"Tough love little sister, tough love." Shane chuckled grabbing a few pants and throwing them in the shopping cart.

"Abuse, I tell you." Stephanie grabbed some hair clips and hairspray and threw them into the shopping cart on top of Shane's pants.

"You say Tomatoe, I say tomato." Shane looked down and examined all the items in the shopping cart. "Uh Steph?"

"Hmm?" Stephanie looked up from the black V-neck sweater she was looking at.

Shane pointed to the items in the shopping cart. "We went out shopping for Christmas presents for our family and friends, and we seemed to only get stuff for us."

Stephanie frowned slightly. "I think we need to take a new approach to this shopping thing."

Shane nodded. "Like shopping for other people besides us?" Shane raised his eyebrow up.

"That could definitely work, but come on look at this sweater!" Stephanie showed Shane the sweater.

Shane smirked but then nodded. "Okay we get a few more things for us and then we head into the next town which is like two hours away and go the expensive stores, to buy Christmas presents for everybody else."

"Sounds like a plan, oh this is so cute!" Stephanie squealing looking at the cardigan sweater.

Shane nodded, laughing softly to himself... this was what the holidays were all about. Shopping for little things with your little sister at a cheap department store; Shane looked at Stephanie as she looked in the mirror bringing the sweaters up to her body to see how they looked. Stephanie was definitely transforming into someone who could take the WWF by storm, if she continued this way, she could become the WWF's sweetheart once again, and maybe someone else's sweetheart again. Shane had seen how Test would keep glancing at Stephanie backstage, but he never made his move... maybe he was a bit intimidated by Benoit... who wouldn't? Shane knew Test was feeling something for Steph, he could see it in Test's eyes, especially when Stephanie would joke around with Benoit, and Benoit would wrap his arm around her neck and smirk, that seemed to drive Test insane. At first it had been hilarious at Test's jealousy, but now it was just damn annoying, Shane knew he had to do something about this and quick.

"So what are we planning to do this Christmas?" Shane asked, as Stephanie twirled around, admiring the sweater.

"We?" Stephanie asked turning to Shane and giving him a look.

"Yeah we. I thought we were going to spend the Christmas together, you know a family event?" Shane grabbed some sunglasses and threw them in with Stephanie's sweaters.

Stephanie frowned. "I don't think the McMahon family will be spending this Christmas together, especially with mom and dad's divorce. I was just thinking of doing whatever daddy wanted to do, we would probably spend the night in the mansion and drink champagne." Stephanie threw the black beanie in the shopping cart.

Shane frowned, knitting his eyebrows in anger and disappointment. He hadn't spent the past month making things better with Stephanie to let their over-bearing parents' marriage or lack thereof ruin things. This was Christmas, the time where family and friends got together and let the past be the past... Christmas was about love and family, and the gift of sharing... and damn it why did everything have to be so confusing?

"What if mom and dad put their differences aside for one night?" Shane asked, walking with Stephanie to the cash register.

"If they did that Shane, then Christmas this year would be perfect. But life doesn't work out that way, mom and dad will never put their problems aside for at least one day." Stephanie smiled at the cash register.

Shane ran his hands over his face. "Not even for their daughter's sake?"

Stephanie shook her head. "Not even for their daughter's sake. Give up on it Shane, there is no way you are going to make this Christmas the way we want it, you would need a miracle to do so."

Shane watched Stephanie pay for the items, she turned to him and told him that Shane would pay for their next round of shopping, he just nodded. Shane wasn't going to give up on Christmas this early... if it was a miracle he needed, then he was about to go search for one.

**::: Smackdown arena - Manchester, Vermont :::**

"So I realized half way through our shopping spree, that we didn't buy anything for our friends or family, so me and Shane had to go into the next town, go in search for the expensive shops and buy the rest of the presents there. Took me a while, but I think I found something for you." Stephanie bounced up and down smiling.

Benoit watched Stephanie bounce up and down excitedly, he smirked, shaking his head. He would be lying if he said he hadn't instantly warmed up to the energetic, sweet new Stephanie; She was definitely better then the old one he had known. This Stephanie, although he had only known this one for a week or so, was funny and sweet and very caring, something he would have never called Stephanie McMahon-Helmsley. She had instantly walked her way into his heart, and he had automatically named her one of his good friends. Although he didn't have too many, even though he was teaming with Jericho and they were constantly saving the weaker people from Stone Cold Steve Austin and the rest of the predators in the WWF, people still shyed away from him.

"You didn't have to..." Benoit started but was cut off by Stephanie.

"I wanted to! You were actually the first person who befriended me when I came back to the WWF, and you have been a great friend to me for the past week and some days, and you deserve it." Stephanie smiled, and pushed the little box which was decoratively wrapped in Benoit's hands.

Benoit smiled again, and he started to unwrap the wrapping paper on the small box, truth be told, he was a bit anxious to see what Stephanie had gotten him. "It's a hockey puck..." Benoit said flipping the puck between his hands, a look of confusion on his face.

Stephanie giggled. "Not just any puck, a puck autographed by the most popular played on the Canadian Oilers."

Benoit stared at Stephanie, finally smiling; He turned the puck over and stared at the autograph, he looked back and smiled at Stephanie. "How long did this take you to get?"

Stephanie smiled, tucking a piece of her hair behind her ear. "A few hours, Shane was connected." Stephanie smiled again, followed by a laugh.

"It's not the time that matters, it's that you went out of your way to get this. Thanks, now here." Benoit handed Stephanie a black velvet jewelry box, that he didn't wrap up. "Sorry didn't take the time to wrap it up, but I'm not good with wrapping paper."

Stephanie bit down on her lip and opened the box and gasped at the necklace lying neatly in the jewelry box. The necklace had a silver chain, and in the middle of the silver chain was a ring, Stephanie looked up at Benoit, asking him a silent question.

"It's a promise ring. Some lovers buy one for one another, declaring their love for each other." Benoit stated.

"And in our case?" Stephanie raised her eyebrows.

"A promise ring can also be for friends, if one friend gives another friend a promise ring, he's trying to tell her that he's her friend, and nothing will change that, or at least that is what I am trying to say. I know it's not the most expensive present, and it certainly isn't even close to the present you got for me but..." Benoit's voice trailed off.

"But nothing! I love it Chris, it's the coolest Christmas present anyone has given me!" Stephanie squealed, and hopped up hugging Benoit unexpectedly.

Benoit laughed at the sudden hug he had gotten from Stephanie, he hugged her back. "Glad you like it." Benoit arched up his eyebrows. "So what did you get Test?"

Stephanie blushed. "His present was a little harder to get, I mean it was on a different emotional level. I wanted to get him something that would mean something to him but not put too much pressure on him."

Benoit nodded. "So you got him a watch."

**::: Hunter's locker-room :::**

"So am I just supposed to back off and let Test and Stephanie fall happily in love? I don't think so!" Hunter stomped back and forth in his room, shooting the crewman a look. "You know what I mean?"

The crewman quickly nodded, as to not upset Hunter, not really keen on the idea of getting his ass kicked.

"She was my wife and I am not just going to back off and let Test win her heart! I am the game okay?! I never lose! Let me emphasize on never... NEVER!" Hunter kicked the couch. "Wait I got an idea! I'll challenge Test to a hardcore match tonight, 3 nights before Christmas! I'll kick the crap out of him so bad, that he won't even dare go near Stephanie... I am such a genius!" Hunter fell down to his couch, smirking.

This was going to be perfect, this was the perfect revenge he needed. He would get Test in a hardcore match and beat the living hell out of him, it would inflict pain on Stephanie, and cause Test to get scared, so scared that he wouldn't even bother with Stephanie, and then Stephanie would eventually come back to him and he would be on the top of his game once more. How easy was this going to be?

"You, leave." Hunter shoo-ed the crewman out, still grinning.

But the memory of Benoit's threat to him two days ago came flashing back to him.

_"Listen Triple H, 'The Game', Hunter... whatever you call yourself.. frankly I don't care if you call yourself a big jackass, it's up to you. But what I do care about is Stephanie McMahon, she's my friend, and in case you didn't notice, I tend to be protective of my friends. So let's get this straight right here and right now... she doesn't love you anymore. I don't want to sound all calice and uncaring and say get over it, but get over it. She is at the new part of her life, and you don't fit in with her, she wants to be human, and she can't be a human with you. Leave her alone, stop harassing her, she doesn't find it flattering and it's just pissing me off. Keep messing with her or the people around her to get a rise out of her, you're going to have to face me, and I probably won't be in a good mood... and I know that you don't like the crippler cross face whatsoever, so watch it Helmsley."_

Hunter shook his head, at first he had thought Benoit was just pulling his leg, but the look on Benoit's face gave him way; Benoit was NOT joking. Benoit was dead serious, and Benoit had been right... Hunter did NOT like the crippler crossface. So if Hunter challenged Test to a hardcore match tonight, Benoit would probably be on his case about it. So was hurting Test and getting a rise out of Stephanie worth the attack he would get from Benoit because of it?

"Hell yeah." Hunter said underneath his breath, gathering up his courage to ask Regal for the match.

**::: Lita/Hardy Boyz locker-room :::**

Lita stared at Benoit, unsure of what she should think of him coming to her, Matt and Jeff. "I don't know Benoit, why should we trust her?"

Jeff nodded. "Yeah, she's a total bitch." Jeff said, brushing his hair back.

Benoit shook his head. "She's a changed person."

Lita snickered. "Like we haven't heard that line before."

Matt nodded, tying up his shoe laces. "Lita's right, how can we be so sure that we can trust her? Just because she has played the nice girl in front of you, doesn't mean that she is actually good. This is probably just some little plan her and Hunter came up with..."

Benoit sighed. "She's divorcing him."

Lita's eyes widened. "No way."

Benoit nodded. "Way."

Jeff smirked when Benoit used the word 'way', he had never heard Benoit speak that way. Benoit was actually a quite preserved person, he usually kept to himself, well beside the exception of Jericho. "She is?" Jeff asked.

Benoit nodded again. "Right after Christmas, she has already asked for the papers. She's different guys, I'm telling you, a leopard can change her spots."

Matt arched his eyebrows up. "I've heard the saying, but it's just a stupid metaphor."

Benoit shot Matt a look. "She's trying to become a new person, and no one besides me, Test, Jericho and Shane have given her a chance. Can't you at least try to be a little nicer to her?"

Jeff scratched his head, thinking. "I still don't know..."

Lita bit down on her bottom lip. "Jericho is her friend?"

Benoit nodded. "Yeah, if he can put their past behind them, can't you guys?"

Matt thought for a second and then sighed. "I guess we could..."

Lita nodded after a few seconds. "Yeah, if we see her in the halls, we'll make a mental note to say hi to her."

"And?" Benoit asked.

Jeff sighed. "She's on our probation list okay? We'll see how she is, and if she is as great as you say she is, then we should have no problem with becoming friends with her."

Benoit smiled. "Thanks guys." Benoit walked out of the locker-room, leaving Matt, Jeff and Lita alone.   


"You think she really has changed? Lita asked, pulling her hair up.

Matt shrugged. "You never know."

Jeff nodded. "Yeah, maybe she really has changed her spots."

**::: Vince's office :::**

Shane smiled at Vince, as he sat down in the chair across from Vince's desk. "Hey dad."

Vince nodded at Shane, and took his glasses off, paying his full attention to Shane. "So was there a reason you desperately needed to talk to me?"

Shane nodded. "Well you love Steph right?"

Vince gave Shane a look. "Of course I do, she's my baby girl."

Shane smiled. "And you would do anything for her?"

Vince nodded slowly. "Anything that I was capable of."

"Good, because you and mom need to put your problems past you two for one night..." Shane started but was cut off by Linda.

Linda, who had been quiet up until now, shook her head. "I don't think that is possible Shane."

Vince nodded. "Yes too much has happened for me and your mom to get along, even for a day."

Shane sighed. "Oh come on you two, Stephanie has been through a lot, and what she needs is a normal Christmas, for once in her life, she needs a normal holiday. She needs to spend this Christmas with her loved ones, and to do that, you two need to flash the truce flag for one day. For Stephanie?"

Vince and Linda looked over to each other, they remained in silence, for a few minutes. Vince finally groaned. "Fine for Stephanie I'll put aside my personal conflict with your mother."

Linda nodded. "Same goes here, for the sake of Stephanie."

Shane grinned. Wow he had really done it, and it wasn't half as hard as he thought it would have been. All he had to do was say 'for Stephanie?' and Vince and Linda had agreed, he had to play the Stephanie card more often.

"Great, oh mind if I invite a friend over?" Shane asked, once he got up.

Vince looked at Shane oddly. "Which friend?"

"Andrew Martin." Shane stated, looking at Vince.

Vince smirked once the name 'Andrew Martin' escaped out of his son's mouth, he knew exactly what Shane was trying to do. Shane was going to invite Andrew to Christmas, so he could somehow get sparks to fly between Stephanie and Andrew... Shane was going to play the matchmaker.

"I guess that's alright." Vince said, acting like he had no idea what Shane had up his sleeve.

Shane smiled, and walked out of Vince's office. Now all he had left, was to invite Test to Christmas without letting Stephanie know that Test was coming.   


**NEXT IN TAINTED:******

Shane continues playing matchmaker, and asks Test to Christmas.

Hunter and Test fight in a hardcore match.

Kurt and Stephanie talk.

Vince and Linda talk about Shane and Stephanie.

Lita, Jeff and Matt warm up to Stephanie.

Test gives Stephanie her Christmas present early. 


	8. Evil Intentions

hgj **::: Smackdown arena - Manchester, Vermont :::**

Shane walked through the hallway of the Smackdown arena, nodding and waving to all of the wrestlers, but his mind was only on one. Shane had gotten Linda and Vince to agree to put their problems aside for one night so for once in their lives the McMahon family would have a normal Christmas... so now it was time to go to part "b" of Shane's plan. Part "b" of his plan would be inviting Test to spend Christmas with them but also not letting Stephanie know that Test was coming. Sure it was lying to her, but if things worked out the way he had planned Stephanie would be thanking him, not hating him. 

"Hey Shane," Test said walking past Shane, Test's mind was jumbled up with thoughts of Stephanie; Test had seen how Stephanie was now, and he was falling in love with that girl all over again, this Stephanie was even sweeter then the old one and not so naive. This Stephanie was radiating with inner beauty, and as much as her friendship with Chris Benoit made him jealous... it almost made him smile. Two people who hated each other before were suddenly becoming the best of friends, and word was going around that Stephanie had given Benoit a autographed oilers hockey puck for Christmas, it was a sweet Christmas gift... not the most expensive thing but full of sentimental meaning... Stephanie was unlike anything he had ever seen. One day she had been the spoiled little brat he despised and now she was the girl he was too shy to go and talk to. Test was no shy, it just wasn't who he was, but whenever he was around Stephanie, he got shy. 

Shane turned his head when he saw Test walk past him, Shane shook his head and ran after Test. "Yo wait up!" 

Test stopped walking and turned around and gave Shane a smile. "What's up Shane?" 

Shane bent over, catching his breath, it had been quite a run to catch up with Test, obviously Test had something on his mind, and Shane just bet it was Stephanie. "I'm glad I met you, everybody seems to be leaving after tonight to go off wherever they are going to spend Christmas." 

Test nodded. "Yeah actually Jericho already left to go back home for Christmas." 

"So why are you still here?" Shane asked, trying to small talk before asking the big question. 

"I got a hardcore match with Hunter tonight." Test said, frowning. 

He had gotten the news just 10 minutes ago, Regal had come to his locker-room and informed him that he had a hardcore match against Hunter. Test should have been ready to see this sort of thing from Hunter, everybody knew Hunter was a sore loser. 

"He what?" Shane's voice squeaked with surprise, Shane hadn't been expecting that. "That bastard, why can't he just leave things be? Benoit already threatened Hunter to stop harassing Stephanie, but Hunter won't leave her alone. He won't let her grow as a person, I would attack him myself but..." Shane was cut off by Test. 

"Stephanie wouldn't appreciate that, and plus if you attacked Hunter, you would be stooping down to his level. Hunter can't accept that Stephanie isn't his anymore, hey I know where the man is coming from, I felt the same way when she left me and married Hunter behind my back. It's not easy falling in love, because once you do, you are opening your heart up to pain, and love takes your heart to the unknown." Test said, sighing. 

Shane listened to Test's words intently, Test's words had so much truth behind them. "If me attacking him would be bringing myself down to his level, then why are you?" Shane raised his eyebrows up in questioning. 

"It's a match, and I'm a wrestler... and no good wrestler would turn down a match with The Game." Test replied nonchalantly and serious. 

Shane smirked. "And it doesn't hurt matters that you get to beat the hell out of the guy who took Stephanie away from you in the first place." Shane ran his hands through his hair. 

Test rolled his eyes. "My hardcore match has nothing to do with Stephanie," Test stopped, shaking his head. "Weren't we talking about Christmas?" 

Shane laughed. "Changing the subject. Yeah we were, so where are you going for Christmas?" 

Test shrugged. "Didn't really have anywhere planned." 

Shane shook his head. "Then you are cordially invited to spend Christmas with the McMahon family. My mom and dad are putting their problems aside for one day, so why don't you join us?" 

Test bit down on his bottom lip, thinking about the offer Shane was giving him. "Well what does Stephanie feel about this? I don't want to make her feel uncomfortable or something." 

Shane smiled. "She is excited, she wants you to come over for Christmas." 

Test's eyes got a shocked look in them. "She does? Really?" 

Shane nodded, trying to contain the smile that was threatening to dance itself across his face. "Totally. It would really disappoint her if you didn't show up." 

Test thought for a second, finally nodding. "Yeah sure, why not? Tell Stephanie I'll come." 

"Will do." Shane said, nodding. "I got to go now, tell Steph, you know the drill." 

Test nodded. "Same here, I mean I have to go get ready for my hardcore match..." 

Shane cut Test off. "Hey don't make Hunter scare you off, or intimidate you from hanging with Stephanie okay?" 

Test got a weird look on his face but nodded. "Like he could ever do that." 

"I'll hold you to your word." Shane replied. 

"You do that, see ya." Test smirked and walked off. 

Shane waited until Test was all the way out of his view, before exploding into a big grin. His plan was getting along perfectly, Test had agreed to spend Christmas with them, now all he had to was to sit back and watch his plan bring Stephanie and Test back together... 

"I am TOO good." Shane said to himself, walking off, whistling a tune. 

**::: Benoit's locker-room :::**

"I can't believe this!" Stephanie's voice exploded as she paced back and forth in Chris Benoit's locker-room. 

"Calm down Stephanie," Benoit said calmly trying to calm down his friend. "Just calm down." 

"How can I?!" Stephanie hissed, turning to face Benoit. "Andrew has to fight Hunter tonight in a hardcore match! Hunter is doing this to punish me, he wants me to feel pain because I left him, and he has succeeded in doing so. I have tried my very best to be friendly and nice, but that has gotten me nowhere. Hunter is being a calice jerk to me, so why not just go back to him, at least Andrew wouldn't get hurt anymore." 

Benoit jumped up from his spot on the couch, and gave Stephanie a stern look. "No don't you even think about that, if you do... Hunter wins. He's doing this to get a rise out of you and hopefully intimidate Test into staying away from you, Hunter is a jerk and you can't let him rule your life forever. You have totally changed, you did a 180 on your personality, and people are starting to warm up to you, you can't just give up, just when you started to make a life for yourself, a good life." Benoit replied, trying to keep Stephanie from going back to Hunter. 

"But what good is this life if Hunter is always around to ruin it? He will NEVER stop! He's like a predator!" Stephanie screamed, throwing her hands in the air. 

"But eventually the attacker becomes the attacked. You're giving what he wants, by giving up, you're letting him win the game, the game he thinks he is so damn good at." Benoit said, anger starting to well up in his body. 

Stephanie sighed. "Well he is the game, and he is that damn good." Stephanie said, rolling her eyes. 

Benoit smirked, but instantly wiped it off. "Tell me you're not going back to him." 

Stephanie was silent for a while but then shook her head. "No, I'm not going back to him. But I just wish Hunter wasn't be so calice and cruel about this whole thing, if he would just let me go, things would be so more simple." 

Benoit nodded. "You can beat him at his stupid games, don't let him get to you." 

Stephanie frowned. "But he's going to kill Andrew!" 

"No he won't." Benoit said, with a dangerous edge to his voice. "He knows better." 

Stephanie shot Benoit a look. "Is there something you want to tell me?" 

Benoit shook his head, sitting back down, determined that Stephanie wasn't leaving. If Stephanie wasn't in his locker-room right now he would be fuming; He had warned Hunter to back off, and this felt like Hunter was spitting in his face or something. Benoit didn't like when people ridiculed him or thought that he wasn't serious, and that night when he had warned Hunter to leave Stephanie alone, he had been DEAD serious. Benoit hadn't told Stephanie that he warned Hunter, he didn't want to worry her, actually all he wanted to do was ease her confusion and pain, which was caused by Hunter. 

"Well I am going to go." Stephanie said walking to the door. "I'll talk to you later?" Stephanie asked. 

Benoit looked up and nodded. "Sure thing Stephanie." 

Stephanie smiled. "Later." Stephanie walked out of Benoit's locker-room.   


Once Stephanie left Benoit let the dangerous look dance in his eyes. "Hunter Hearst Helmsley is getting the crippler crossface, it may not be tonight and it may not be tomorrow... but he is going to get it, and he is going to feel regret he didn't listen to me." Benoit said to himself. 

**::: Outside of the arena:::**

Stephanie took in a deep breath of the breezy wind of Manchester, Vermont. It wasn't snowing anymore, and for that Stephanie was grateful, right now she needed to be outside, and not in the Smackdown arena. Stephanie could hardly believe Regal had done this, allowed a hardcore match between Test and Hunter, when he fully knew what was going on, and that it would prove to be a very emotional thing to her. Stephanie would have to remember to talk to her dad about this... she wouldn't be whining, just stating her opinion... her very angered opinion. 

Stephanie pulled her hair into a pony-tail, so her long brown hair was no longer in her eyes, it was starting to get on her nerves, like everything else. "Argh!" Stephanie screamed, letting some of her stress out. 

"Bad day?" Kurt Angle asked, walking up next to Stephanie. 

Stephanie turned around, a little surprised Kurt was talking to her. Kurt hadn't talked to her since she got back to the WWF and she was about to give up on the chance that she would ever get him to talk to her, not that she really blamed him. "You could say that." Stephanie muttered. 

Kurt nodded, and rubbed his hands together. "Care to share?" 

"Do you even want to hear?" Stephanie asked, truthfully. 

"Wouldn't ask if I didn't want to know." Kurt said, smiling. 

Stephanie smiled, leaning against the concrete wall outside of the arena, her shoulder brushing against Kurt's. Stephanie turned to Kurt and stared at him and then sighed. "Hunter challenged Andrew to a hardcore match and Regal agreed to it. I can't believe Regal did this, knowing how personal Andrew and Hunter were for me, especially with me filing for divorce from Hunter." 

Kurt stared at Stephanie shocked. "You're really divorcing Hunter?" 

Stephanie nodded. "Yeah all I have to do is sign the papers, I wanted to do them after Christmas, I wanted to make things less harder on Hunter." 

Kurt sighed. "Unlike what he is doing to you." 

Stephanie nodded sadly. "You were right. You knew Hunter was bad for me, you told me, and I snapped at you. I have been trying for weeks to talk to you, but you wouldn't answer any of my calls, and when I got back you totally avoided me." Stephanie frowned. 

Kurt shook his head. "Well you have no idea how much of a jerk a guy can be when he has his pride hurt. But I've seen a whole new you Stephanie, you came back with your held up high and a smile on your face, and you just wowed me." 

Stephanie smiled. "I wowed you?" 

Kurt nodded. "Totally. I've seen how everyone reacts to you now, they're not scared to talk to you anymore, because now you're not out to destroy people. I've seen how people who totally hated you before become your closest friends..." 

Stephanie smiled. "Like Benoit?" 

Kurt nodded, smiling. "Yeah like Benoit. This new you... I like her." 

Stephanie bit down on her bottom lip. "I like her too." 

Kurt smiled. "That's good, don't let Hunter's stupid little games chase her off. Right now things may seem really hard with Hunter intentionally trying to hurt you, but believe me if you hold on tight and deny Hunter to affect you, you'll get through it. Good things come to people who wait, it may be a long wait, but believe me you'll reach the end of that wait and you'll be glad you didn't give up and I bet a certain blonde will be waiting for you." Kurt winked, grinning. 

Stephanie smiled, she closed off the space between her and Kurt and hugged him. "Thanks." 

Kurt smiled once they pulled apart. "It was no problem, I would love to stay and hang out with you, but I got to go pack." 

Stephanie nodded. "Going home for Christmas?" 

Kurt shook his head. "Not exactly, I'm going to Canada with Christian and Edge to spend Christmas with them. I thought I would try something new this year, plus it will just be the three of us, and that sounds fun instead of my 3 generations of family." Kurt grinned. 

Stephanie laughed. "Well spending Christmas with Edge and Christian sounds... well exciting." 

"It's always with them, so see you when we all get back." Kurt hugged Stephanie once more, before he left. 

Stephanie watched Kurt run over to where Edge and Christian were stuffing their bags into the trunk of their rental car, she smirked to herself. Maybe Kurt was right, things seemed to be getting better... she had gained a friend and confidant in Benoit, her and Test were speaking to each other, and now she had just got Kurt back to being her friend... if she could just get past Hunter's games, she might be able to get what she wanted, what she's always wanted... a life. A life that was hers and not someone else's... she wanted to have what Kurt had with Christian and Edge... they could joke around with each other without worrying that someone could be lurking in the background trying to ruin it. Stephanie wanted her life to be full of HER memories, HER friends... she wanted a life that belonged to her, she wanted to be able to say that the life she was living was HER's. 

But as long as Hunter kept bothering her, she didn't have that life yet... 

**::: Vince's Office :::**

"So what do I owe this pleasure Linda?" Vince said sarcastically, as he poured himself a cup of coffee. 

Vince had no idea why Linda was here, she had called and said that she needed to talk to him, and he had agreed and here they were... Linda sitting in front of him, her hands folded into her lap and a straight look on her face. Vince and Linda NEVER talked, unless it was arguing... but Vince had tried to restrain their arguing to a minimum because of Stephanie. He didn't want Stephanie to endure anymore torture then she was already getting from Hunter, and plus they had promised to stop trying to bite each other's heads off until after Christmas, for the sake of Stephanie. 

"I just thought we should talk, since we will be spending this Christmas together." Linda said, with a annoyed tone in her voice. 

Linda wasn't really up to spending Christmas with the man that had broken her heart and treated her awful, but Shane had used 'The Stephanie Card' so she had no choice. Shane had pointed out to her, that Stephanie needed to be spending Christmas with her _whole _family, she would have sounded like a cynical person and a lousy mom if she had declined Shane's suggestion. 

"Not my choice Linda." Vince said, taking a drink of his black coffee. 

"Never the less, we need to be on communicating terms if we are to put our problems aside and plan a normal Christmas for Shane and Stephanie." Linda pointed out. 

Vince sighed. "I guess so, we wouldn't even be in this situation if Shane hadn't played the Stephanie card." 

"Yeah, it looks like Shane knows how to get us to agree to something." Linda said, sighing as well. 

"Well he knows for a fact that I would do anything to make Stephanie happy, she is my baby girl, I would do anything in my power to make her satisfied." Vince said, drinking some more coffee. 

Linda rolled her eyes. "I hope you know that I care for her too." 

"Never said you didn't." Vince replied dully. 

"But you implied that she isn't as important to me then she is to you." Linda raised her voice. 

"Well you don't see me making her life like hell and suing you for half of your money, do you?" Vince asked, with a glare in his eyes. 

Linda laughed bitterly. "It's a world record, it only took you five minutes to make things about you." 

Vince rolled his eyes. "Sure whatever Linda, you stay out of my way and I will do the same for you." 

Linda groaned. "I came here to talk to you about Shane and Stephanie, not argue with you." 

"Well if that is so, talk." Vince leaned back in his chair. 

Linda sighed. "Well whose mansion are we having Christmas at? Mine or yours? I thought we might as well have it at yours, since Stephanie is more used to yours then mine, and Shane frankly doesn't care where it takes place, he just cares that it does take place." 

Vince pursed his lips. "Mine sounds fine, you'll be bringing Shane, I can assume?" 

"Yes I will, and I can assume that Stephanie will already be at the mansion before me and Shane arrive?" Linda asked. 

"Yes she will, and what shall we do about this whole Andrew thing?" Vince asked, raising his eyebrow. 

"Well Shane seems to be playing matchmaker, he thinks that if Andrew and Stephanie are in the same mansion that sparks will fly between them." Linda said, pushing herself up. 

"I guess we will just have to see, leaving are we?" Vince asked, getting up as well. 

"Yes, I'm going to go talk to Shane, and by the way did you hear about the Andrew and Hunter hardcore match that will be happening in about 10 minutes?" Linda asked, turning to leave, but keeping her eyes on Vince. 

"What?" Vince's voice took a turn and gained a surprised tone to it. "I had no idea! Regal will hear from me." 

Linda nodded. "Well see you at Christmas." 

"Yes, at Christmas, goodbye Linda." Vince said, showing Linda to the door. 

"Bye Vince." Linda walked out the door, sighing a big sigh of relief once she was halfway down the hall. 

**::: In the hallway :::**

Stephanie rushed down the hallway of the Smackdown arena, her mind set on stopping this hardcore match between Test and Hunter. She had been watching in on the tv screen in her locker-room, and it had been horrible... Hunter had hit Test in the ribs with the sledgehammer and then he had thrown Test through a table. Stephanie couldn't just sit back and let Hunter brutalize Test that way.... 

"Ow!" Stephanie squealed as her body plowed into a male's body, throwing them both down to the ground. 

"Ouch." The surprised southern voice of Jeff Hardy replied, as he pushed himself up slowly. "Are you okay?" Jeff asked, offering a hand to help Stephanie up. 

"Oh thanks." Stephanie let Jeff pull her up, once she had gained her composure, she dusted off her pants, and smiled at Jeff. "Yeah, I am. Sorry about that, I guess I wasn't watching where I was going. I have a lot of stuff on my mind, sorry again for bumping into you like that." 

Jeff shook his head, smiling. "Nah, it's okay..." 

"Yeah it is, he's the one who's always bumping into people..." Matt said, smirking walking over with Lita. 

"Yeah, he injures more people outside of the ring then inside the ring." Lita said, laughing. 

"Shut up you two!" Jeff snapped. "So where were you going so fast?" Jeff asked. 

Stephanie smiled at the playful bickering going on between Lita, Jeff and Matt. She had been a little surprised that Jeff had talked to her, and so nicely but she didn't dare say something that would cause them to stop talking to her, no she liked that they were being nice to her. 

"Oh, I was going to the ring, to stop that horrible hardcore match between Andrew and Hunter. Hunter is taking things too far!" Stephanie exclaimed, remembering why she had been so angry before. 

Lita nodded. "We were watching on our tv, Test is getting a beating of his lifetime." 

Stephanie frowned. "That is why I decided to go out there and stop it." 

Matt knitted his eyebrows. "Are you so sure that is a wise thing to do? You could get hurt out there." 

Jeff nodded. "Yeah, Hunter seems to be attacking anything that gets in his way." 

Stephanie shook her head. "I'll have to take the chance, I can't let Hunter hurt Andrew in that way. It would be stupid and cowardly if I just sat back and let Hunter kill Andrew." 

Lita bit her lip but then nodded. "I would do the same for Matt and Jeff, I already have... good luck Steph." 

Stephanie smiled. "Thanks, I'll need it." Stephanie waved and ran off, heading towards the ring.   


Matt and Jeff looked over at Lita, and raised up their eyebrows in questioning about Stephanie. Matt had seen a difference in Stephanie as Jeff had, but they both wanted to know what Lita thought. 

"She's cool." Lita said smiling, and walked back into their locker-room. 

**::: Test/Triple H hardcore match :::**

Stephanie ran down the titantron ignoring the roaring of the crowd; There were mixed emotions coming from the fans from Stephanie's appearance at the match, some were happy, and some not. But Stephanie paid no attention to them, right now all that mattered to her was stopping this match. 

"Stop!" Stephanie screamed, sliding into the ring. 

"Stephanie, get out of the ring!" Test said weakly but firmly, pushing himself up. 

What in the world was she doing here? She was going to get herself hurt, and that was the last thing he wanted to happen to Stephanie, and especially right before Christmas, a Christmas he would be spending with her.   


"No!" Stephanie exclaimed firmly. "I want you to stop this Hunter!" Stephanie faced Hunter, who had lowered his sledgehammer, she planted her hands on her hips. 

Hunter laughed. "Are you telling me what to do princess Stephanie? You think you own me? Because last time I checked, I was a free man, and if your old man can't rule me anymore, you sure as hell can't." 

Stephanie would have usually flinched at Hunter's harsh words, but she was NOT backing down. "In fact I am telling you what to do, and if you know what's good for you, you will stop this match, before I have to get my dad involved!" Stephanie raised her voice. 

Hunter laughed again. "Oh sicking daddy on me?" 

Stephanie nodded. "I will, and don't you dare talk to me in that tone, have a little respect!" 

Hunter smirked. "Respect? How could I respect a slut like you?" 

Stephanie felt tears prick at her eyes, once she heard the cruel word Hunter had called her, she was speechless, she couldn't find her vocal cords. 

Hunter grinned. "What Stephanie? I thought you knew, I thought the whole world knew that you were a slut. What you thought you could just come back and dress like a nice girl and make friends with Benoit and Jericho and that suddenly didn't make you one? Please, you will always be one, you can never change that." 

Stephanie choked back the tears, she raised her hand and let it connect against Hunter's skin as she slapped him with all her might. Her hand made a loud cracking sound, and the place where she hit Hunter was red from the slap. Stephanie stumbled back, realizing what she did. Oh god Hunter looked so pissed. 

Hunter brought his hand up to his face, his eyes were in shock, had Stephanie just hit him? The slap had taken him by surprise and it had hurt like hell as well, she had hit him as hard as she could, and what a slap that had been. Hunter watched Stephanie stumble back, he started walk closer to her. 

Test recovered from his shock that Stephanie had slapped Hunter, Test pulled Stephanie behind him, to protect her from Hunter, who looked mighty pissed. "Don't you dare touch her!" Test warned. 

Hunter grabbed a metal chair and hit Test in the face with it, getting a scream out of Stephanie. Hunter watched Test fall to the ground, Hunter began hitting Test in the chest over and over with the chair, he looked up and saw the teary look in Stephanie's eyes, he smirked and continued the pain on Test. 

"Stop!" Stephanie screamed, pushing Hunter away and kneeling down next to Test. "Andrew? Oh god Andrew..." 

Hunter regained his composure and raised the chair, looking evilly at Stephanie, who was trying to shake Andrew awake. Hunter pushed back his hair with one hand, and aimed the chair for Stephanie. 

Stephanie looked up and saw the evil and cold look in Hunter's eyes, Stephanie scrambled up, dodging the first swing of the chair. Stephanie stumbled into the ring post corner, and brought her hands up as Hunter walked up to her, still holding on to the chair. "No Hunter! Please!" 

Hunter shook his head and went to hit Stephanie with the chair but turned around when he felt someone grab the chair away from him. Hunter stumbled back as Lita kicked him in the face, he went to do something but Matt gave him the twist of fate, and then to continue his pain, Jeff got on the turnbuckle and did his finishing move, the swanton bomb on Hunter. 

"Hey you okay?" Lita asked, as she pulled Stephanie up, Lita glanced over at Matt who was helping Test up. "Ssh it's okay, you're safe now." 

Stephanie had a look of fear on her face, she looked up at Lita and now Jeff who had made his way over to her. "He was going to hit me..." 

Lita nodded. "Believe me, I know how it feels." 

Jeff nodded too. "Been there, we are just glad we could get to him before he hurt you. We saw on our tv that Hunter attacked Test with the chair, so we just guessed that he would hit you next, so we ran out here to help you." 

Stephanie went to say something but turned when she heard Benoit's theme music come, she watched him run down the titantron and slide into the ring, she went to ask him what he was doing here, but she already knew. 

Benoit leaned down next to Hunter and positioned Hunter's body and performed the crippler crossface on him, making it as painful as he could. "I warned you!" Benoit hissed as he let go of Hunter's body when the refs came running up. 

**::: Mountain Mike's :::**

Shane stared at the big screen television screen in the crowded pizza place, with shock in his eyes. Shane felt the horror being replaced by anger... how dare Hunter try to attack his sister? Shane understood about Hunter attacking Test, but Hunter had no right even coming that close to hurting Stephanie. 

"That asshole..." Shane muttered, his voice cracking with emotion. 

Linda nodded, shocked as well at how close Stephanie had been to getting hurt by Hunter. Linda had seen the dangerous look in Hunter's eyes, and she had nearly left the pizza place Shane had taken her to, so she could get to Stephanie, but she knew she would never reach Stephanie in time and plus Shane had been frozen in place. 

Shane watched Benoit walk over to Stephanie who was already being comforted by Jeff Hardy and Lita, Shane watched Chris ask Stephanie if she was okay, well he guessed that was what he was asking her, he couldn't hear the words. Shane let his eyes bounce over to where Matt was checking on Test who seemed to be out of it still.

"I'm going to kill him." Shane muttered.   


**NEXT IN TAINTED:******

It's 2 days before Christmas and things in the WWF are heating up...

Shane is out for revenge for what Triple H tried to do to Stephanie on Smackdown.

Test is frantic when he sees a tape of what almost happened to Stephanie on Smackdown while he had been passed out from the chair shot from Triple H.

Lita and Stephanie have some girl bonding time.

Vince talks to Regal. 


	9. Lover's Quarrels

ffffffffffffffffffffff **::: RAW arena - Burlington, Vermont :::**

Shane pushed his way into the entrance of the Monday Night Raw arena, his eyes narrowed in anger, his whole body seething in anger. All Shane could feel, all he knew... was that he was going to make Hunter pay for what he called Stephanie on Smackdown and also what he tried to do to her. Who the hell did Hunter Hearst Helmsley think he was? He may be the game and all, but no one... NO ONE threatened to hurt his family, especially his baby sister, and to make things worse he had called Stephanie a s-- no he couldn't even think the word he had called Stephanie... Hunter had gone too far, before Shane had understood that Hunter was a scorned man, but now he was just an insane maniac. The only other person Shane had seen gone this crazy was Stone Cold Steve Austin, Steve had actually calmed down, he was no longer attacking women with chairs... but now it seemed that Hunter was taking Steve's place as the maniac.

"Shane, just wait..." Matt Hardy's soft voice, stopped Shane in his tracks.

"Why?" Shane hissed out, his words having a venom to them. Shane was too pissed off to be the cool and collected guy right now, Hunter had messed with family, and that was damn sheer personal.

Matt put his hands up, trying to get Shane to stay for a few more seconds, trying to prolong the heated argument he knew Shane was going to have with Hunter. It wasn't that Matt didn't think or feel that Hunter deserved to get his ass kicked, but the fact that all Shane could see was his anger, and anger clouded up the mind, and right now Matt knew Shane was not thinking straight.

"Well!?" Shane screamed, his patience wearing thin.

"Look Shane, I know that you're upset about what Hunter tried to do..." Matt's voice was cut off by Shane's.

"You damn right I'm upset! He called my sister a sl-- a slu-- I'm not even going to repeat that awful word he called my sister, and then he had the nerves to try to attack her!" Shane's voice raised.

"Hey I know okay? I was there, I mean god knows what would have happened if we hadn't attacked Hunter, taking his attention away from Stephanie. And I totally agree that he should get his ass kicked for what he tried to do and what he did... but you're pissed, and your anger is clouding your good judgment. You can't just go into his locker-room and try to kick his ass, or demand things... he would destroy you in a second, and right now Stephanie doesn't need that." Matt said, suddenly sounding more wise then he had ever sounded before.

Shane opened his mouth to protest but stopped himself short as Matt's words started to make sense to him. "But he deserves to feel pain for what he did."

Matt nodded. "Damn straight, but we need to form a plan, a plan that will work... and a good plan at that, we need to strategize, to make sure he would never see us coming, and we need recruits. Now obviously we can't bring our plan into action until after Christmas, but believe me we will bring the plan into action, and once we do Hunter Hearst Helmsley will regret he ever messed with Stephanie." Matt brushed his hands through his hair. "But like I said we need to wait, we need to take this a step at a time... you got me?"

Shane nodded slowly. "After Christmas."

Matt nodded, shaking Shane's hand. "After Christmas, Hunter will know real pain."****

**::: Regal's office :::**

Vince pushed the door open to Regal's office, without knocking. Vince was PISSED! Vince had seen the replay of what Hunter tried to do to Stephanie, and he most certainly blamed William Regal for this. If Regal hadn't allowed that damn match to go on in the first place then Stephanie would have never been put in the line of danger.

"Well hello mister McMahon, how can I help you?" Regal asked in his usual british tone.

Vince shut the door behind him and shot Regal a look. "You approved the Triple H and Test fight did you not?" Vince asked, trying to keep his voice at a calm level.

"Why yes I did, Triple H had came to me asking me for the match, I didn't see anything wrong with it." Regal admitted, a little confused as in why Vince was asking him these questions.

Vince scoffed. "Did you happen to see the part where Triple H called my daughter a slut and then proceeded to try to attack her with a metal chair, did you see that part?!" Vince's voice raised, coating thickly with anger.

Regal's eyes widened, and to make sure he didn't anger Vince anymore, Regal shook his head. "Of course I didn't see that, because if I had, I would have ran out there and stopped that match right away, I would never put miss McMahon in a situation where she could get hurt intentionally."

Vince arched up his eyebrows. "Then what are you going to do about it? You're certainly not going to let Triple H get away with this sort of behavior are you? No good commissioner would..."

Regal nodded quickly. "Well of course mister McMahon, I will make sure Triple H pays right when he gets back. He has already left to go home for Christmas, but the second he gets back, he will pay dearly for trying to besmirch dear Stephanie."

Vince nodded, smirking. "Well you do that Regal, and remember McMahons always get what they want."   


Regal watched Vince leave, Regal had sucked in his breath the minute Vince had came in, once Regal knew Vince couldn't hear him, Regal let out the breath he was holding in. Truth be told Regal had heard rumors on what had happened in the hardcore match, and now he knew most of it was right, and now he was expected to fix this. Was it his fault that Stephanie decided to interfere in a match she should have never been in? The match had been against Test and Triple H... it wasn't Test VS. Triple H with the guest appearance of Stephanie McMahon.

"Oh bloody hell." Regal said, throwing his hands down to his sides dramatically. "What am I going to do?"

If Regal punished Triple H when he came back from Christmas break, Triple H would break Regal... but if Regal didn't do anything to punish Triple H, then Vince, Shane and god knows who else would break him...

So it was damned if he did and damned if he didn't.

**::: Test's locker-room :::**

Andrew watched the tape play on his tv screen, he had asked one of the crewmen for a tape of what had happened on Smackdown, considering he had been passed out during the ending of his match, he wanted to see how it turned out. Andrew's eyes were beady with anger, Hunter had just been given the crippler crossface by Benoit, but seeing Hunter in that much pain, wasn't enough for him... Hunter had came TOO close to hurting Stephanie REALLY bad, and to think he had been unable to stop it. He should have been able to beat Hunter before Hunter even dared to look sideways at Stephanie, but instead he had passed out from the chair shot he had been given so graciously from Hunter. He had left Stephanie all alone in the ring with that lunatic, that raving lunatic who had no human soul whatsoever, thank god Lita, The Hardy Boyz and Chris Benoit had been able to save Stephanie from Hunter.

What had Stephanie been thinking getting into the ring last night on Smackdown? Had she gone totally insane? Stephanie had to know that there was a huge chance that she could have gotten hurt, but yet she stayed in the ring and actually stood up to Hunter, possibly from what he could see... PROVOKED him... and not to mention she slapped the hell out of him. Andrew couldn't believe what kind of guts Stephanie had to actually raise her hand to Hunter, that had not just shocked Hunter, it had also shocked the fans, hell probably everybody.

Andrew had known Hunter was a little bit crazy, but Andrew had no idea how right he was. Andrew, watching the tape, could see that Hunter was beyond help, Hunter was going to hurt Stephanie so bad that it would have sent her to the hospital.

Andrew would have been hunting down Hunter and beating the living shit out of him right now, but Hunter had ran off like the coward he was, Hunter had already left to go home for Christmas.

"Man..." Andrew ran his hands over his face, he still had to spend Christmas with the McMahon family. How was he going to do that? Vince would probably blame him for letting Stephanie get hurt...

"Wait, why are you so worried what Vince thinks? You're not dating his daughter anymore..." Andrew's voice trailed off.

That was right, he wasn't dating Stephanie anymore, was that a good thing or bad thing?

Frankly Andrew didn't know, all he knew was that he was incredibly guilty for letting Stephanie alone in a situation like that, and he also felt crazy that he couldn't do anything to Hunter until after Christmas.

Wasn't that love? God he didn't know anymore, all he knew was that whenever he was around Stephanie he felt his heart and his brain fight with one another... that whenever Stephanie would smile at him, he had to contain himself from kissing her... all he knew was that when Hunter verbally and emotionally attacked Stephanie, he wanted so badly to kill Hunter...

Yes Andrew, was in love.

**::: Lita's locker-room :::**

"I can't believe what Hunter almost did to me..." Stephanie confessed looking down at her shoes. "I mean I always knew he had a temper but I never thought he would come that close to... well you know."

Lita looked at the side of Stephanie's face from Lita's spot on the couch, Lita nodded. Lita had a creeping suspicion that something like what happened on Smackdown was going to happen to Stephanie, but she hadn't stopped Stephanie from getting involved in the Andrew/Hunter hardcore match, because Lita knew how it was to feel like you had to protect that person you loved so much, with your life... Lita knew how it was to feel complied to put your body and soul on the line for *that* person. But Lita had watched the match carefully from the tv in her locker-room with Matt and Jeff, just in case Stephanie would need her help, she would know when to run to Stephanie's aid.

"I can't believe you slapped him, that was just whoa. Didn't know you had the guts girl." Lita smirked, she put her spoon in her quart of Ben and Jerry's phish food ice cream, she brought the spoon full of ice cream and took a bite.

Stephanie looked up at Lita and smiled, despite the thoughts in her head. "That was cool huh?" Stephanie asked.

Lita nodded, laughing. "When I saw it I was like oh my god! Jeff had laughed his ass off." Lita took another bite of her ice cream.

Stephanie smirked and turned her attention to her own quart of Ben and Jerry's phish food ice cream. "Where's Jeff and Matt by the way?"

Lita shrugged. "I told them I needed some alone time with you so they split."

"Ah, you got them in check?" Stephanie asked, taking a bite of her ice cream.

Lita laughed. "No doubt, I am the one that wears the pants in this family." Lita grinned.

"At least the baggiest." Stephanie pointed out, swirling her spoon in her ice cream.

Lita laughed. "Well it's better then the skin tight leather pants, and short skirts, that Trish and Terri wear." Lita tugged at her pants. "They are way more comfortable, plus I can do my moves in these."

Stephanie nodded. "Well Trish and Terri really don't have any good moves, so that is why they wear the skimpy clothes, to get noticed for their looks and not their moves." Stephanie said bitterly.

"Ooh bitterness, still pissed that Trish was getting lucky with your dad?" Lita tried to hold back her laughter.

Stephanie threw a pillow at Lita. "She was being a leech."

Lita smirked. "Well she's out of the picture now. So how's Andrew?" Lita took another bite of her ice cream.

"I haven't checked on him, I think he's going to be mad that I interfered in his match on Smackdown." Stephanie looked down at her shoes. "I don't want him mad at me."

Lita shook her head. "He won't be mad, I don't think it's possible for him to be mad at you anymore." Lita grinned.

"What do you mean?" Stephanie asked, looking up at Lita curiously.

Lita grinned once more, Stephanie didn't know? How could she not? Lita thought everyone knew how Andrew felt about Stephanie, the way he looked at her... the way he always seemed to suddenly become speechless when Stephanie came around... it was SO obvious. Some people thought it was annoying, IE: Matt Hardy; But Lita found it cute, she had never seen Andrew act this way, she thought it was adorable how love could change a person so dramatically... but of course she was a girl, so she tended to be sappy at times.

"Oh come on, you have to know that Andrew is head over heels in love with you." Lita raised her eyebrow.

"What?! You have to be kidding!" Stephanie screeched. "Andrew is NOT in love with me."

Lita rolled her eyes. "Oh come on stop being modest Steph. You have to see the way he looks at you, how he shies away from you, how he pulled you behind him to protect you from Triple H." Lita pointed out.

"He was being friendly, Benoit ran out to help me... does that mean he loves me? Jeff and Matt helped me, does that mean they love me too?" Stephanie took a bite of her ice cream.

Lita groaned, rolling her eyes. "That is different... Matt, Jeff and Benoit are you friends..."

"Which is what Andrew is to me." Stephanie said cutting Lita off.

"Uh huh, sure whatever you want to think, I believe ya!" Lita giggled when Stephanie threw another pillow at her.

"He doesn't... he can't... does he really?" Stephanie asked, crawling up on the couch, sitting down next to Lita.

Lita nodded. "He's got it real bad too. Believe me, I know when I see a person who is in love, and Andrew is most definitely in love with you."

Stephanie laughed, taking a bite of her ice cream. "I got him a watch for Christmas."

Lita smirked. "Expensive, but not too emotional for him to think that you are trying to pressure him into a relationship, the watch symbolizes that you spent a lot of time looking for a present, but at the same time it presents that you are still taking it light with him."

Stephanie raised her eyebrow. "And how exactly, do you know so much about the symbolization of watches?"

"I bought one for Matt last year." Lita said, looking down at her ice cream.

Stephanie giggled. "Ah, so last year you had a crush on Matt?"

Lita shook her head. "I've had a crush on him, like forever!" Lita confessed. "I just didn't really act on it until last year when I bought him the watch."

Stephanie smiled. "You two make such a cute couple."

Lita blushed. "Well thanks, hey you and Andrew made a cute couple when you two were together, and I think you two would make an even cuter couple if you two could ever confess that you two loved each other."

Stephanie shook her head. "Things are more complicated then that."

Lita got up, throwing her garbage away. "No not really."

**::: Andrew's locker-room :::**

Stephanie shifted her weight uncomfortably, why was she even here? Oh yeah, Lita had told her to go talk to Andrew, and Stephanie for some reason had agreed without an argument. Stephanie had to come visit Andrew today no matter what... she was leaving tonight to go home from for Christmas, so she had to give Andrew his Christmas present. But now she was a little worried at what Andrew's reaction to her might, considering everything that happened on Smackdown. Stephanie sighed and knocked on the door, waiting for Andrew to answer the door.

Andrew turned off the video tape, which he had seen a million times, when he heard a knocking at his locker-room door. Andrew walked over to the door, and pulled it open, and smiled warmly when he saw it was Stephanie on the other side of his door.

"Hey Stephanie, how are you?" Andrew asked, moving aside so Stephanie could walk in.

"I'm okay," Stephanie said, once she walked inside. "A little shaken up, but otherwise then that, I'm okay."

Andrew nodded. "I just got done watching the tape on what happened on Smackdown."

Stephanie looked at the vcr, which Andrew had left on. "Oh really?"

Andrew nodded. "Yeah, god Steph why did you come out in the ring?"

Stephanie sighed, putting the box down on the table. "I came out there to stop the match."

"Didn't you know that you could have gotten seriously hurt?" Andrew crossed his arms across his chest.

"Well I had the slightest idea yes, but it didn't matter... all I knew what that you were going to get hurt badly if I didn't go out there and stop that match, sorry if I was worried about you!" Stephanie raised her voice.

Andrew shook his head, he knew he was starting to get Stephanie upset, but he just couldn't understand why she would put herself in that situation, fully knowing what Hunter was capable of.

"I just don't understand Stephanie! You have been married to this man two years, you know what he is capable of, and you also know that he has always been on the edge... I just don't understand why you would come out in the ring like that." Andrew sighed.

Stephanie shook her head, so much for a normal conversation, all she wanted to do was wish him a merry Christmas and give him her Christmas present she bought for him and leave to go home. But no he had to question her motives in why she had put her body on the line for him, how could he be so stupid? Didn't he know why she did it? Lita, Matt, Jeff and Benoit knew... but he didn't?

"Maybe because I still love you! Have you ever thought about that? I came here to give your Christmas present before I went home, but you have the nerve to question my motives in why I had wanted to protect you! How can you be so blind? I love you, funny I thought I stood a chance in getting you back... but I'm just stupid!" Stephanie screamed.

Andrew opened his mouth to say something but before he could, Stephanie ran out of his locker-room. "Steph wait!" Andrew ran out of his locker-room and ran after Stephanie.   


"Dude, just let her leave." Jeff held Andrew back. "Give her some time to cool off."

Andrew sighed. "Hey if I was to ask a stupid question like why do you think Stephanie came out in the ring on Smackdown, what would you say?"

Jeff rolled his eyes. "Easy, I would say because she loves you. Why?"

Andrew shook his head. "Well I guess Stephanie was right, I'm blind."

Jeff looked at Andrew confused. "Explain?"

"I didn't know that Stephanie still loved me, I mean I didn't know that was why she came out in the ring on Smackdown and put her life in danger."

Jeff snorted. "Then you are blind."   


Lita walked up to Andrew and Andrew, a fiery look in her eyes. "You idiot!" Lita screamed.   


Jeff looked over at Lita. "Who me?"

Lita shook her head. "No him!" Lita pointed to Andrew. "You know how long it took for me to get her to go talk you and you screw it up?"

Andrew threw his hands up in the air. "How was I supposed to know?"

Jeff shook his head. "It's so obvious."

Lita nodded. "Everyone knows."

Andrew groaned. "Well I didn't, now if you will excuse me."   


Lita and Jeff looked at each other, then they watched Andrew walk back to his locker-room, with his shoulders slumped in defeat.

Lita sighed, looking back at Jeff. "Aren't they supposed to be spending Christmas with each other?"

Jeff nodded. "As in the words of Christian and Edge... this is going to be brutal."

**::: Back in Andrew's locker-room :::**

Andrew walked back in his locker-room, he slammed the door behind him, he went to go to the couch, but stopped when a shiny box caught his eye. "Steph's Christmas present..."

Andrew grabbed the box and opened it up, he smiled when he found the gold rolex watch. It was beautiful, well beautiful for a watch, it must have cost a fortune... but of course the McMahons were full of money, but still. Andrew took the watch out and put it on, a perfect fit... Andrew walked over to the other side of the locker-room and pulled out the shiny rectangular velvet box that held his Christmas present for Stephanie in, he flipped it over in his hands. He had planned on giving this to Stephanie early, but he would have to give it to her when he went to the mansion tomorrow.

"If she will even talk to me." Andrew muttered to himself.

Now he felt like a fool, he was the only one that didn't know that Stephanie was still in love with him... how would she react if she knew that he was still in love her as well?   


**NEXT IN TAINTED:**

Sparks fly, good and bad, on Christmas day when Stephanie sees Andrew at her father's mansion.

Shane is busted. 


	10. I don't want to spend one more Christmas...

jhjkjkl **::: Grocery Store - Greenwich, Connecticut :::**

_This is the time of year, that we learn to give_   
_And the greatest gift is learning to forgive._   
_We will have the best time we ever knew_   
_If you forgive me and I forgive you_

_I don't want to light a fire_   
_Unless it will warm your heart_   
_I'm playin no holiday songs_   
_I need you to sing your part_   
_And baby if I could have just one wish come true_   
_I don't wanna spend one more Christmas without you_

_It's so hard to believe_   
_We're staring at the end_   
_When all we think about is starting up again_   
_Whatever we lost, when we were apart_   
_We'll find it all alone in the dark_

_I don't wanna light a fire_   
_Unless it will warm your heart_   
_I'm playin no holiday songs_   
_I need you to sing your part_   
_And baby if I could have just one wish come true_   
_I don't wanna spend one more Christmas without you_

_There's nothing more that I want from you_   
_Then to lie here together_   
_And stay here forever with you_   
_There's no one I ever knew_   
_That I wanted to spend Christmas with, more than you...._

_I don't want to light a fire_   
_Unless it will warm your heart_   
_I'm playin no holiday songs_   
_I need you to sing your part_   
_And baby if I could have just one wish come true_   
_I don't wanna spend one more Christmas without you_

_I don't want to light a fire_   
_Unless it will warm your heart_   
_I'm playin no holiday songs_   
_I need you to sing your part_   
_And baby if I could have just one wish come true_   
_I don't wanna spend one more Christmas_   
_I don't wanna spend one more Christmas_   
_I don't wanna spend one more Christmas without you_

_- NSync "I don't wanna spend one more Christmas without you"_   


"Eggnog?" Shane asked as him and Stephanie walked through the large grocery store, Shane's eyes were focused on the grocery list Stephanie had made up before they had left, Shane narrowed his eyes at the occasional _I hate Andrew! _scribbling. 

"Check." Stephanie said, throwing in 4 cartons of egg nog in the shopping cart, Shane was pushing. 

"You hate Andrew?" Shane questioned as he grabbed a bag of marshmallows for Linda's famous candy yams. 

"At the moment, yes I do." Stephanie grabbed some whip cream and turned to Shane. "And don't you dare ask why." Stephanie threw the whip cream in the shopping cart and grabbed the grocery list from Shane. 

Shane sighed, watching Stephanie gather the rest of the items on the grocery list. Him and Stephanie had been to the grocery store by Linda and Vince, once Linda realized that they were fresh out of egg nog and Stephanie had decided to make a grocery list for what they needed as well. Shane crossed his arms across his chest as he tried his best to find out why Stephanie suddenly hated Andrew. A few days ago Stephanie had actually been thinking about how it would be for her and Andrew to be back together, and now she hated him? It just didn't make sense, Shane didn't work this hard, to let everything go drain, at least not without a fight. 

"What happened?" Shane asked, walking closer to Stephanie. 

Stephanie looked up from the box of cheesecake mix she was looking at, she gave Shane a look before throwing the box in the shopping cart. "I told you I didn't want to talk about it." 

"No, you said don't ask me why, I'm not... I'm asking you what happened?" Shane said pointing out the difference between what Stephanie told him not to ask and what he really asked, sure he was being demanding, but he had worked so hard and put his own butt on the line to get Stephanie and Andrew where they were, and he wasn't ready to give up on them quite yet. 

"I told him that I loved him, and he didn't say it back, he just kept asking me why I came out in the ring on Smackdown, lecturing me like I'm a little kid." Stephanie grabbed some strawberries, she then crumpled up the grocery list. "We're ready to go, we got everything we needed, meet you at the front." 

Stephanie grabbed the shopping cart and walk up to the cash register, leaving Shane behind. Shane brought his hand up to his forehead, running it down his face, while he groaned. "Oh this Christmas isn't going to be complicated..." Shane muttered sarcastically to himself as he chased after Stephanie.   


**::: The McMahon Home - Greenwich, Connecticut :::**

"He didn't say he loved me back, so that obviously means he doesn't right?" Stephanie asked, arching her eyebrows up as she watched Linda start to cook her favorite desert, the chocolate mousse pie. 

Linda looked away from the pie, and shook her head no at her daughter's question. "Not usually, maybe he didn't know you felt the same way, so when you told him, he was shocked?" 

Stephanie shrugged and continued to stir the cheesecake mix. "I just don't know, I'm glad it's just family tonight. The last thing I need tonight, is a surprise." 

Linda looked down, trying to hide the look on her face... if it was surprises Stephanie didn't want, then she was NOT going to have a good Christmas tonight.   


"So basically he stuck his foot so far up his mouth, Stephanie has declared that she hates him, which is bad for me, REAL bad! Andrew is supposed to be here in an hour, and Stephanie hates him." Shane exclaimed in a low tone, as to not get the attention of Stephanie, who was in the kitchen with Linda. 

"So in other words, you're a dead man when your sister finds out what you have been plotting behind her back. Because I know Stephanie does NOT like secrets kept from her." Vince took a sip of his egg nog. "You're a dead man." Vince chuckled. 

Shane rolled his eyes. "You're such a support dad. Steph won't kill me, she loves me..." 

"Then why do you sound so uncertain?" Vince looked at Shane, his eyes with a questioning look in them. 

"Basically because I know that she will kill me. What was I supposed to do? There was no way Stephanie and Andrew would have been to admit their true feelings for each other, on their own! Those two are so scared of what the other is thinking, that they are never going to admit that they still love each other, so I decided to take it into my own hands." Shane threw his hands up in the air. 

"Even though your intentions were completely good, you're still a dead man." Vince pointed out. 

Shane groaned. "I know, god do I know! She shouldn't be wanting to kill me, she should be wanting to thank me. If they had avoided each other like planned, then everything would have worked out tonight. Andrew would show up, the sparks would go flying... the kiss under the mistletoe, perfection... but then Andrew had to ruin it, by, well being him!" 

Vince smirked. Shane had really thought this through, too bad he would end up being busted and getting killed by Stephanie. McMahon Christmases always went the same, it starts out normal, but end up completely dysfunctional, it wouldn't be a McMahon Christmas, if some disaster didn't happen.

"Well let's enjoy this normal Christmas, before it goes dysfunctional." Vince replied, picking up a book.   


"The candy yams are done." Stephanie said, putting them on the counter beside the cheesecake. "And so is the cheescake, how is the turkey coming along?"

"Done." Linda replied turing off the oven. "Well it seems that everything is ready, now all we have to do is wait for our guest."

"What guest? I thought it was just going to be us tonight." Stephanie looked over at Linda questiongly.

Linda looked away from the turkey and stared at Stephanie who had a questioning look on her face; Linda shook her head, she probably doesn't know, Linda thought to herself. Shane had told her that he was setting this whole thing up, he had invited Andrew over to spend Christmas with them, and then they would start talking, he somehow guide them over to the mistletoe, and then they would kiss. Linda, when Shane had first told her the plan, thought it was cute... she had always loved Stephanie with Andrew, when Stephanie was with Andrew Stephanie seemed so happy, and that was all Linda ever wanted for Stephanie, for her daughter to be happy. Linda would never understand how her daughter was so deciteful and devious and then sweet and caring, it was as if Stephanie had a split personality... she had seen a little bit of difference in Stephanie, but she hadn't seen that much, because she wasn't around Stephanie all the time, but she had heard only what the other wrestlers told her, which was Stephanie was a new person, and Linda believed every word of what she heard.

"Your brother said he might invite someone, but I don't know if he is coming or not." Linda said, smiling. It was true, Shane had invited someone, Linda just made sure she didn't say the person was Andrew Martin.

Stephanie nodded. "Oh okay, well I'm going to go hang out with dad and Shane okay?" Stephanie asked.

Linda nodded and watched Stephanie walk out of the kitchen. Linda's eyes softened when she heard the faint voices of Stephanie and Vince; Linda hadn't been ready for this, when she had agreed to spend Christmas here, she hadn't been ready to feel the wave of old emotions wash over her just when she heard Vince and Stephanie talk, it was like all the years she spent with her family, before everything went bad.

Linda walked over to the kitchen door and opened it a crack, she peeked through the whole and smiled at what she saw; Vince sitting in his chair talking with Stephanie and Shane who were sitting on the big couch next to each other... Stephanie had a smile on her face as her and Shane joked about something, that only seemed to be funny to them, like a joke no one else in this world would be able to get, just a joke between them, a joke they could say was "their joke".

Linda smiled; They were once a family... a great family. Shane and Stephanie were the visions of perfection in Linda's eyes, both about the same in height, both smart and beautiful. Vince had been the perfect husband, he was dedicated to his work, but always found the time to make sure he there for his children, although he treated Stepanie a bit more special, but a great father.

They were once a family and from what Linda could see from her hiding spot behind the door... they still were a family.

**::: Right outside the McMahon home :::******

Andrew zipped his coat up as he stared at the door of the McMahon mansion, he stared at the mansion with a look in his eyes, this place seemed to get bigger every year. Andrew visited the mansion every year for the annual WWF New Years Eve party, but no matter how many times he came here, the place always seemed to be getting bigger. Or maybe it was just his imagination playing games on him; Andrew brought his fist up to knock on the door, he let out a deep sigh once his fist came in contact with the wooden door.

"Come on..." Andrew said to himself as he rubbed his hands together. He was 45 minutes late, he had to take a detour because of the snow storm and then his car had broke down just a few miles before Vince's mansion.

To make a long story short, he was not having a good day. Andrew had almost decided not to come to Vince's to spend Christmas with them, but in the end he knew he had to talk to Stephanie. He had to set things straight, Chtistmas was about forgiving, starting all over again... and he just hoped he would be able to do that with Stephanie.

"Yeah? Oh shit Andrew..." Shane said, his face paling, his voice trailing off. "What are you doing here?"

Andrew rolled his eyes at Shane. "Sorry I'm late, there was this huge snow storm on the highway and then my car broke down a few miles into Greenwich, are you going to invite me in or not?"

Shane hestitated but then nodded letting Andrew in, it wasn't like he could say no you can't come in because my sister doesn't know that you are supposed to be here. "Sure, there is just something you should know..."

**::: Inside the McMahon home :::******

Vince looked up from Stephanie and groaned once he saw Andrew walk in, he had actually thought Andrew wasn't going to show up, Vince had actually thought there was a chance that this Christmas may be actually normal.

"What is it daddy?" Stephanie asked, looking away from Vince, her eyes widened when she saw Andrew standing next to Shane, why was he here? Stephanie glanced over at Shane who had a look of guilt on his face, Stephanie shook her head ... they had been set up.

Shane looked away from his hands and looked at Stephanie, he forced a smile directed at Stephanie, in which she didn't return. Shane shook his head, he had just got busted; Shane ran his hands over his face.

Andrew looked at the surprise painted on Stephanie's face and then he looked over at Shane who was rubbing his hands over his face. Andrew sighed, finally realizing why Stephanie had come to his locker-room to give him his Christmas present early... Shane had set them up.

"Dinner's done." Linda said, putting the turkey down on the table, she looked up and saw the looks on the faces of Andrew, Shane and Stephanie, which did not look good. "Everyone please sit down." Linda said, not giving anybody any time to argue.   


"I can't believe you Shane!" Stephanie hissed into Shane's ear as she passed the mashed potatoes to Vince. "You set me up!"

"Well not exactly," Shane said quietly. "I was just trying to..." Shane's voice trailed off, he was trying to find the perfect way to explain this without upsetting Stephanie further.

"You were trying to do what? Destroy my life?" Stephanie questioned as she took a bite of her turkey, so she wouldn't cause any attention towards her and Shane.

"No, exactly the opposite. You and Andrew obviously still care for each other and I was just trying to make you two see that. Both you and Andrew are stubborn, so I thought if I got you two together on the holiday of forgiveness and love, that you two would see that you don't have to pretend you guys don't love each other anymore. I thought I was helping you, but I was just being an idiot." Shane turned away from Stepanie and concentrated on his food, this Christmas was NOT going well.

Stephanie stared at Shane, the angry look in her eyes gone, could Shane be right? Maybe her and Andrew were just too damn stubborn to see that they needed each other... Stephanie had told him she loved him, but then she had ran off before he could reply, afraid of what his response would have been. Maybe if she had stayed, she would have heard that Andrew still loved her, or maybe not... but she would never know, unless she asked him tonight.   


"Look," Andrew stood up, pushing himself away from his chair. "I'm sorry I came, I didn't know that Shane had planned this whole thing, because if I have, I would have never came. Actually I just came here, to give this to Stephanie and apologize to her, for not saying it sooner." Andrew but the rectangular velvet box on the table, he cast Stephanie a look before heading out of the house.

Stephanie reached over the table slowly and grabbed the box, she could feel Shane, Vince and Linda's eyes on her, she brought the box to her; She opened the box, her eyes got wide when she saw the locket lying neatly in the box. She pulled the locket out and brought it up to her eyes so she could see it, it was a heart locket on a gold chain, Stephanie turned the locket over and smiled softly when she saw the engraved words:

_I love you Stephanie McMahon_   
_-Andrew Martin___

Stephanie opened the locket open and on both sides of the locket were pictures of her and Andrew; Stephanie held the locket in her hands as she jumped up from the table.

"I got to---" Stephanie started to say but was cut off by Linda.

"Go get him honey." Linda said softly, smiling sweetly at Stephanie.

Stephanie nodded and ran to the edge of her door and opened it.   


"Andrew!" Stephanie said, grabbing Andrew's attention, who was on the other side of the door, when Stephanie opened it up.

Andrew smiled at Stephanie. "I forgot my coat in there, I wouldn't usually worry about a stupid coat, but it's freezing out here and I don't have another coat and I..."

"Shut up Andew." Stephanie said. "Mistletoe."

Andrew opened his mouth to ask Stephanie what she was talking about but then he looked up and saw the mistletoe hanging above Stephanie's head. "Oh look, well you know, we don't have to."

Stephanie shook her head. "Kiss me."

Andrew nodded and closed off the personal space between him and Stephanie, he brushed his lips softly against Stephanie's. Stephanie wrapped her arms around Andrew's neck, pulling him closer, not ever wanting the kiss to end, the kiss was slow and passionate and so much full of love, Stephanie couldn't get enough of it.

"That was wow..." Stephanie said, once her and Andrew pulled apart. "Andrew?"

Andrew looked at Stephanie, his eyes glazed over in a hazed state, he hadn't kissed someone like that since Stephanie left him, and he couldn't believe that he had lived 2 years without being able to feel this way. "Yeah?"

"I don't want to spend one more Christmas without you." Stephanie said pulling Andrew back into the house. 


	11. Plans Forming

tainted 11 **::: The limo ride to the Smackdown arena :::******

"So are you guys _too _mad at me?" Shane asked, as the long black limousine made it's way to the Smackdown arena in New York City.

Stephanie looked up from the WWF magazine she was reading and gave Shane a look, the truth was she wasn't really that mad at Shane. In the beginning she had been extremely upset, Shane had set her up and she didn't like being kept out of the light on things... but then afterall it was Shane's secretive match-making plan that got her and Andrew under that mistletoe which led to the kiss... and just thinking of that kiss between her and Andrew made her happy, and she couldn't be mad at the man who got her and Andrew back together.

Stephanie smiled to herself, as she remembered Christmas night, right after the mistletoe kiss; Stephanie had told Andrew that she didn't want to spend one Christmas without Andrew by her side, and that had re-started their relationship. Christmas had been great, but what surprised Stephanie the most was when Vince and Linda danced, that one moment had proven to Stephanie that anything was possible.

"No not too mad, how about you Andrew?" Stephanie asked, turning to Andrew who was sitting down next to her.

Andrew smirked, shaking his head. At first he had been a little upset because Shane had set him and Stephanie up, but then Andrew's anger for Shane had died down once he realized that him and Stephanie re-starting their relationship wouldn't have been possible if it wasn't for Shane's match-making.

"Nah, you're lucky me and your sis don't hold a grudge." Andrew said, turning on the small television, an array of images from a Big Show/Rikishi match flew across the screen.

Shane sighed relieved. "Well like I said, you guys should be thanking me..."

Stephanie shook her head. "Don't go that far Shane... you stuck your nose where it didn't belong, you lied to me and Andrew, and you put us in a very uncomfortable situation... there is no reason for us to be thanking, just thankfully we knew when to take advantage of the situation." Stephanie grinned.

Andrew grinned, not tearing his eyes away from the screen, he scrunched up his nose when Big Show received a stinky face from Rikishi. "I don't like Big Show or anything, but the stinky face isn't even a sanctioned move!" Andrew replied, rolling his eyes.

Stephanie laughed. "Now you sound like Kurt. Hey believe me, I know that the stinky face isn't an actual move, it's just something that embarrasses you."

Shane shook his head. "It's awful."

Andrew grinned, turning off the television, he turned to Stephanie and Shane and smiled. "So what was up with Vince and Linda at Christmas?"

Shane threw his hands up in the air, shrugging. "Oh man, hell if I know! They were dancing, my parents whom hate each other, were dancing."

Stephanie smiled. "I think it's sweet."

"You would." Shane said, rolling his eyes.

"What?" Stephanie asked innocently. "Haven't you ever heard of that some loves die hard? That some loves are never forgotten?" Stephanie looked at Shane.

"I can attest to that." Andrew said, draping his arm around Stephanie's neck.

Shane scrunched up his nose. "Okay don't do that in front of me okay? I'm the older brother, I don't like seeing my sister and her boyfriend doing their mushy love moments, it's disgusting."

Stephanie and Andrew grinned. "Payback Shane." Stephanie and Andrew said in unison.

Shane fake groaned loudly, glaring at Stephanie Andrew, pretending to be annoyed. But truthfully, he was feeling pretty damn good; Stephanie and Andrew were together, his mom and dad were actually getting along, WCW was moving along nicely, and soon his and Matt's plan of revenge on Hunter would be in action. Things were going good, and once they got to the arena Shane and Matt would fill Andrew in on the plan, and Hunter would learn not to attack women, especially Stephanie and in the past Lita.

"You two are sickening." Shane said, smirking.

Stephanie shook her head, grinning at Shane. "Just because Marissa isn't here doesn't mean you can ruin our fun, plus you know you are secretly patting yourself on the back for getting me and Andrew back together."

Shane nodded. "It was all me, if it wasn't for me, you and Andrew would be mad at each other for no reason and avoiding each other like the plague."

Andrew rolled his eyes. "I wouldn't go that far."

Shane crossed his arms across his chest, a smug look on his face. "So if I hadn't invited you to Christmas, you think you would have been able to go to my house and give my sister the locket that said that you loved her? And if you have never been able to give that gift to Stephanie, you two would have never made up."

Stephanie bit down on her bottom lip lightly. "I hate to say this, but he's right."

Shane laughed. "Oh that has to hurt Andrew." Shane grinned.   


**::: Smackdown Arena - Madison Square Garden, New York :::******

"I'm going to find Lita, so I'll hook up with you two later?" Stephanie asked Shane and Andrew as they walked into the building of the Smackdown arena.

Shane nodded. "Sure Steph, plus me and Andrew need to have a talk."

Andrew stared at Shane oddly but then turned to Stephanie. "Be careful, I don't know if Hunter is back or not, and I don't want you running into him."

"I'll be careful," Stephanie said, kissing Andrew on the lips quickly. "You two have fun with your manly talk, you know the whole macho thing." Stephanie grinned and walked off.

----

Andrew watched Stephanie walk off, he kept his eyes on the back of her body until she was completely out of his view. Truth be told Andrew didn't trust Stephanie to be walking around the halls of the WWF by herself, things were still too risky; Hunter should be back by now, and if she just happened to bump into him when none of her friends were around, who knows what could happen? Andrew already almost had Stephanie get hurt real badly by Hunter, he didn't want it to happen again.

"She'll be alright." Shane said, he looked up and smiled when he saw Matt walking over to them. "Look me and Matt need to talk to you, and believe me you will want to be a part of this conversation." Shane replied.

Andrew looked up and stared back and forth between Shane and Matt who had confident looks on their faces. "Okay this doesn't sound good... what's up?"

Matt pushed his hair back. "Okay, we're sick of Hunter pushing people around, for one a few months back he had hurt Lita real bad and then right before Christmas he attacked Stephanie, we need to take Hunter down."

Shane nodded. "We can't keep letting Hunter get away with hurting the people we love."

Andrew nodded, crossing his arms across his chest. "But how do you presume we go along taking down Helmsley? Let's remember this is the intercontinental champion, last time someone tried to take him down he almost broke Kane's arm."

Matt nodded. "See that is where part A of our plan comes into action. Kane won that intercontinental championship belt fair and square at Judgment Day in that chain match, but then Hunter and Steve cheated Kane out of it, which makes Kane an ally to us, and Mark too... Mark wants revenge on Helmsley. We don't need to worry about Steve, Steve is with Vince, doing the hugging thing."

Shane scrunched up his nose. "Let's not bring that up. Well anyways, Hunter doesn't deserve that belt, so the first part of our plan is to make sure he loses the belt."

"How do we do that? No one can beat him." Andrew said, sounding skeptical.

Matt shook his head. "Kane can beat him, Kane has done it before, he just keeps getting cheated out of the belt. But see with Mark and us in Kane's corner, there is no way Kane can lose."

"But afterwards?" Andrew asked.

"Then plan B will come into action, he loses the belt, he's down in the dumps, and we continue to stab the knife in deeper." Shane replied.

"And how do we do that?" Andrew asked, as him, Shane and Matt started walking.

"In all time Andrew, but one thing is clear... we can NOT tell Lita or Stephanie about this." Shane replied, with a serious look in his eyes.

"We don't want to endanger them." Matt said, adding to Shane's earlier comment.

Andrew nodded slowly, he didn't like the idea of lying to Stephanie, but if keeping her out of the light on this plan would keep her safe, then he would have to lie. Andrew's main priority right now was to keep Stephanie safe, now that he had gotten her back, there was no way he could let her get hurt again. "Okay."   


----

Stephanie turned around the corner, the corners of her mouth twitching in a smile, today was going so good, things were finally going great, and to top things off she had her first real girlfriend, her and Lita before Christmas had done some real bonding.

"Oh!" Stephanie squeaked out when her body plowed into another body, a male body, big and rough. "Sorry." Stephanie muttered pushing herself up, she hadn't looked the person in the eyes yet, she was too busy dusting off her clothes.

"Well hey Stephanie." Hunter said, grinning evilly at Stephanie, as he watched her dust herself off.

Stephanie stopped messing with her pants when she easily recognized the voice as Hunter's; Stephanie looked up and swallowed when she found herself eye to eye with Hunter, which was not where she wanted to be. Stephanie backed up but Hunter followed her, Stephanie looked around, trying to find someone she knew that would help her, but everyone was still probably on their way back to the arena from Christmas. "Hunter..." Stephanie said softly, putting her hands up.

"I just got done talking to Regal, he has me fighting Big Show tonight in a no-holds-barred match, obviously he thinks I should get punished for my behavior towards you on the last Smackdown." Hunter growled out.

"I-I had no idea." Stephanie stuttered.

"Sure you didn't, don't lie to me, I bet you ran to daddy and demanded that I get my ass kicked." Hunter snapped.

"I didn't, but you should of thought of the consequences of your actions, before you decided to attack me on Smackdown, you can't get away with everything you know." Stephanie said, gathering a little courage.

Hunter smirked. "Oh, now you're suddenly miss self righteous? What your shit doesn't stink anymore?"

"Not as bad as yours!" Stephanie said, raising her voice.

Hunter crossed his arms across his chest, an amused grin on his face. "Well excuse me, I forgot who I was talking to... you're miss McMahon, daddy's little girl, the billion dollar princess..."

"And a human being!" Stephanie cut Hunter off. "I'm not scared of you, I'm not just going to stand you disrespecting me and the rest of the people in this federation, you're not the most important person in the WWF you know, and if I wanted you gone, I could have that done."

Hunter pushed Stephanie against the wall forcefully. "Don't threaten me."

"Or what?" Stephanie asked, trying to escape out of Hunter's stare and his forceful hand, which was on her shoulder, pushing her back into the wall.

"Or what?" Hunter echoed, he grabbed Stephanie's arm roughly. "Who do you think you are? Do you see Andrew or big brother Shane around huh? They can't protect you, if they don't know where you are! Where's Benoit and your buddies The Hardy Boyz? They're nowhere around, so don't start demanding things of me, because they won't be able to help you when I decide that I have had enough of your shit."

Stephanie tried to escape Hunter's hurtful grasp, but it was too strong. "Let me go!"

Hunter shook his head. "No, what are you going to do about it?"   


"Let her go Helmsley." Chyna's voice demanded.   


Hunter turned away from Stephanie but kept his grasp on her, he chuckled when he saw Chyna. "Oh wow, wonder woman come to save the day? Leave us alone, this is between me and Stephanie."

Chyna looked over at Stephanie who was almost to tears from the pain of Hunter's grasp. "Not anymore."

Before Hunter could say a word, Chyna kicked him in the gut making him release his grasp on Stephanie; Chyna threw him across the wall and proceeded to deliver kicks to his lower abdomen. Once Hunter looked like he was passed out from the pain of the hits and kicks from Chyna, she turned to Stephanie.

"Are you okay?" Chyna asked, for once all her anger at Stephanie gone. Because right now all she could see was a scared young woman that needed help; Sure Chyna had hated Stephanie before, but Chyna had also seen the way Hunter was treating Stephanie as of late, ever since the split, and it reminded her of what happened between her and Eddie, and she swore to herself that she would never let a woman go through something like that alone, even if the woman was Stephanie McMahon.

Stephanie opened her mouth, but she gasped when she saw Hunter push himself up. "Chyna!" Stephanie screamed, giving Chyna a warning.

Chyna went to turn around but she was kicked in the back and then she was pushed, Chyna landed against Stephanie, Chyna groaned as they both fell to the ground.   


"You two little---" Hunter started to say but before he could finish he was picked up from the behind and given a back breaker by someone he couldn't recognize yet.

"Didn't your mother ever tell you to treat women with respect?" Chris Jericho asked grinning, as he performed the walls of Jericho on Hunter.   


Chyna pushed herself up, she helped Stephanie up and then a smile came across Chyna's face when she was it was Chris Jericho who had came to her and Stephanie's rescue. "Are you okay?" Chyna asked Stephanie again.

Stephanie nodded, holding her head; She smirked when she saw the look on Chyna's face when Chyna realized it was Jericho who had come to their rescue. "Fitting huh?" Stephanie whispered to Chyna, indicating to Jericho.

Chyna looked at Stephanie and smiled. "Yeah the fleeting hero..." Chyna said sarcastically. "Are you sure you're okay? You really look flushed, did he hurt you?"

Stephanie looked at Chyna shaking her head. "No not physically, maybe emotional, but he's great at doing that."

Chyna nodded. "I've been there."

"Yes, you have." Stephanie said, finally realizing who she was really talking to. "I'm sorry." Stephanie said quietly.

Chyna stared seriously at Stephanie. "You know what? I think you really mean that."

"I do." Stephanie said seriously, staring into Chyna's eyes. "I mean it with all my heart. Look you have no reason to believe me, to believe that I have changed... because me and Hunter, we hurt you bad. But I'm done with being the bitch, I seriously want nothing to do with him anymore, I was going to see Lita, when I bumped into him."

Chyna nodded. "I saw. I was walking in, I saw him push you into the wall and then grab you, I believe you Stephanie. I shouldn't, considering what you have done to me in the past, but I believe you."

"That means a lot to me, you know?" Stephanie smiled.

"Well leopards can change their spots." Chyna said simply.

Stephanie nodded. "So what about him?" Stephanie pointed to Jericho who had just got down throwing Hunter into a wall.

Chyna stared at Jericho, her eyes sparkling for a second as she watched Jericho beat Hunter up. "What about him?"

"What's the verdict? You still love him or not?" Stephanie asked, smiling.

"The first one." Chyna said, she wiped the smile off of her face as Jericho walked over to them.   


"Are you girls okay?" Jericho asked, rubbing hands against his pants.   


"Fine." Stephanie and Chyna said in unison.   
****

**::: The Hardy Boyz locker-room :::******

"I can't believe this bullshit!" Andrew's voice boomed, his eyebrows were knitted in anger, his face red.

Andrew had just gotten the call from Jericho that Stephanie and Chyna had been attacked by Hunter, and to say the least Andrew was pissed. He had the feeling that Hunter would do something like this, but when he had gotten the call from Jericho, he had been surprised that the attacks were happening so soon.

"If it wasn't for Chyna and Jericho, Stephanie could have been hurt! Hunter's at it again, and now he has added Chyna to his list of people to attack! We got to bring this plan into action now!" Andrew screamed.

Matt nodded. "We will. Tonight Kane fights Hunter for his belt, which will be the first part of our plan to bring Hunter down."

Jeff nodded as well. "We just got to keep calm, right Shane?"

Shane kicked a table, sending it flying across the locker-room. "Stay calm? Stay calm!? I'm sorry that seems a little impossible when the man is attacking my sister and her friends, or whatever Chyna is to Stephanie! The asshole is treading on some seriously thin ice here, and I will NOT be calm!"

Jeff shook his head. "Look we are SO close to bringing Hunter down with a bang, we just got to keep calm, and make sure the girls don't know about our plans."

Matt nodded. "Exactly. There is NO way we can let Lita, Stephanie or recently now Chyna find out what the plans are for tonight."   


Lita shut the locker-room door to Matt and Jeff's locker-room quietly, so they wouldn't know that she along with Chyna and Stephanie were listening to their conversation. Lita tip-toed off, motioning for Chyna and Stephanie to follow her.

"I can't believe they didn't tell us!" Stephanie said, once they were far away from the the locker-room.

Lita shook her head. "Typical of them, they don't think we can handle ourselves, they think their jobs as the men is to keep us safe, to put a security blanket around us and make sure we don't get hurt."

Chyna rolled her eyes. "Men. They think that us little women can't protect ourselves." Chyna said in disgust.

Stephanie sighed. "They underestimate us."

Lita suddenly grinned. "Steph is right."

"I am?" Stephanie asked confused.

Lita nodded. "She is! They underestimate us, so they would never see us coming! We can form our own plan to take Hunter down, which would probably be more thought out and more sneaky then theirs."

Chyna smiled, nodding. "But Kane is already supposed to fight Hunter tonight."

Stephanie coughed. "Unless someone stops him, that someone could be me, I could talk to Kane."

Lita stared at Stephanie uncertain. "But wouldn't that be awkward? Considering the whole Undertaker kidnapping you and trying to marry you thing in 1999?"

Chyna nodded. "Yeah Stephanie, if anyone should talk to them, it should be me or Lita."

Stephanie shook her head. "No, they won't do what you ask them, but if I go to them, they might actually listen to me."

Lita shrugged. "I still don't think so, Kane and The Undertaker don't exactly respect you."

Stephanie nodded. "But, I have guilt hanging over their heads. Mark seems to be a changed man ever since he formed a team with his brother, if I bring up the whole kidnapping thing, he'll at least hear me out, that is the least he could do for me."

Chyna smiled. "She's right."

Lita slapped Stephanie on the back. "Do it girl. I'll go talk to some more people, maybe Molly Holly and Spike will help us out."

Chyna nodded. "I'll talk to Jericho."

Stephanie and Lita grinned. "Jericho huh?" Stephanie and Lita said in unison.

"Oh shut up." Chyna said walking off.   


Stephanie smiled. "Okay here I go, about to face an old ghost."

Lita hugged Stephanie. "Good luck."   


**NEXT IN TAINTED:******

Stephanie goes to Undertaker and Kane to stop Kane from fighting Hunter for the intercontinental belt.

Stephanie and Mark talk about the past.

Chyna and Jericho talk.

Lita talks to Molly Holly and Spike Dudley.

Trish and Albert join sides with Hunter. 


	12. Ambush Attacks

dgdhs **::: Undertaker and Kane's locker-room :::**

Stephanie stood outside of Mark and Kane's locker-room, a look of uncertainty painted all over her face, she knew she had to face this ghost sooner or later, but now just a few seconds away with facing it, Stephanie felt dread enter her body. She hadn't really confronted Mark on what happened back in '99 and plus she wasn't exactly his or Kane's favorite person, like Lita had told her earlier. Stephanie had been so sure of herself up until now, now she felt like she was a lost little girl, and all she wanted to do was turn around and let Shane, Andrew, Matt and Jeff take care of this situation. 

_*Oh don't you dare Stephanie McMahon! Are you going to let the men in your life save you whenever you are going to fall? You're an independent woman, you don't need Shane or Andrew to wrap you up in a security blanket or put you in a plastic bubble whenever you might get hurt.* _Stephanie's inner voice chimed in. 

Stephanie nodded, reassuring herself, she brought her fist up, she let it connect against the locker-door. Stephanie brought her hands behind her, as she waited for someone to answer the door. 

"Coming..." Mark said, grabbing a black tank-top, he pulled it over his head as he stumbled over to the door, he had been taking a short nap before Kane's match with Triple H, which was to happen after Triple H's first match against Big Show. Mark didn't know what was really going on, all he knew was that Shane, Andrew, Jeff and Matt Hardy had come up with some plan to bring Triple H down, and any plan that would destroy Triple H, was a plan Mark would love to help out in. 

"Um, hi Mark." Stephanie said nervously once Mark opened the door. 

Mark gave Stephanie a stern look, raising his eyebrows up, he tried to find the strength in his body to be angry because Stephanie was at his locker-room door but confusion got the best of him. "What are you doing here little girl?" Mark said, making his voice as rough as it could get. 

"To talk to you." Stephanie stated, not letting herself be scared by the tone in Mark's voice. "I heard you and Kane are going to help the guys in their plan to bring down Hunter." 

Mark nodded. "Yeah we are, I didn't think you would have a problem with it." 

"Kane can't fight Hunter tonight." Stephanie stated. 

Mark grinned. "And why the hell not? Look I don't care that much for you..." 

"But you at least have to listen to what I have to say, you owe me at least that, considering everything you did to me in 1999." Stephanie said, waiting for Mark's reaction. 

Mark's rough expression suddenly turned soft at the mentioning of what he had done to Stephanie two years ago, the look in Mark's deep eyes were no longer an annoyed look, but a soft look. Mark hadn't expected Stephanie to bring that up, he had almost forgotten the kidnapping, it had been two years ago, and a long two years; But Stephanie's tone and the look on her face, gave away that the ghost of what he had done was not gone. 

"Come on in, Kane is in the shower, so we'll have some time to talk." Mark moved aside so Stephanie could walk in. 

"Thanks." Stephanie muttered as she walked into the locker-room. "Look I appreciate Shane, Andrew, Matt and Jeff wanting to punish Hunter for what he did but see me, Lita and Chyna don't want to be treated like fragile pieces of glass." 

Mark slammed the door shut and walked over to the couch. "So what does this have to do with me?" 

Stephanie frowned. "I need your help, and believe me you are the last person I would want to go to for help, considering how you made my life like hell, by stalking me, leaving cryptic messages behind for me and then finally kidnapping me and trying to perform a black wedding on me." 

Mark knitted his eyebrows, he then ran his hands over his face. "I was a different man back then." 

"You were no man, you were a monster!" Stephanie snapped. "An evil man that got his kicks on scaring the crap out of young naive women, and the fans loved you for that." 

Mark shook his head. "Hey don't get all riled up now, you came to me remember? Don't come in my locker-room attacking me, I'm only going to say this once, because I don't like saying things more then once... I'm sorry. I'm not saying that's gonna make you feel a 100% better, but that is the only apology you will get from me, I'm not good with that sentimental crap, takes me long enough when to talk to Kane or leave him alone." Mark replied. 

Stephanie stared at Mark for a long time. "Anyways, to make sure my, Lita and Chyna's plan work, we need Kane to stay away from Hunter tonight." 

Mark shrugged. "I don't know, Kane is real up to winning his belt back." Mark replied. 

"And he will, we just need to prolong things, all good plans take time, do you not agree?" Stephanie asked. 

"Well yeah, what kind of plan are you thinking?" Mark asked. 

Stephanie sat down next to Mark. "We all want Hunter to endure pain, but not too much pain too quickly. Tonight he'll fight Big Show, he'll probably get some interference by someone, so tonight he will get his way, but then on Monday Night Raw revenge will be ours, Kane can have his match, a hardcore match. After Kane wins the belt, that will just be the beginning of our plan, we'll take down all of Hunter's friends and then eventually repeatedly take him down. Hunter has prided himself in his alliances, one such as Stone Cold Steve Austin, we can use that against him, believe me, I just need to know that you and Kane are in and that Kane isn't going to fight Hunter tonight." 

Mark nodded. "Well I can't speak for Kane, but I'm in, this is going to be my amends for '99 okay?" 

Stephanie nodded. "Yeah, if you come through, all is forgiven." 

"I'll come through." Mark said simply.   


"I'm in too." Kane replied roughly, as he walked into the room. "I want to help." 

Stephanie stood up and smiled at Kane. "Well that's great, thanks guys, and oh yeah don't tell Shane, Andrew, Jeff or Matt I was here, okay?" 

Kane and Mark nodded. "Sure thing." Mark replied. 

Stephanie smiled, waving to Kane and Mark before running out the locker-room door.   


Mark turned to Kane, giving Kane a look. Aligning himself with Stephanie McMahon was the last thing he had planned on doing when he woke up from his nap, but somehow it was going to be the one of two things he was going to be most proud of, the other one being making amends with Kane. "Hunter's going down."   


**::: Outside of the arena :::**

Lita walked outside of the Smackdown arena and smiled when she saw Spike Dudley and Molly Holly sitting down on a bench, their hands entangled in one another's. Lita would be lying if she said she didn't find the relationship between Molly and Spike cute, they had overcome all sorts of obstacles just to be together. But right now wasn't about her examing their relationship, right now was about forming a plan, and to form a plan, they needed allies. 

"Molly, Spike!" Lita screamed as she ran over to them. 

Molly looked away from Spike and grinned when she saw Lita. "Oh hi Lita, what brings you out here? Me and Spike just decided to come out here to escape our families, and plus we like to be alone, gives us time to reflect on things." 

Lita nodded. "That's cool, look I would love to small talk with you guys but I am in a hurry and I was wondering if you two would like to help me on this plan me, Chyna and Stephanie are coming up with?" 

Spike cleaned off his glasses, flashing Lita a smile. "What kind of plan?" 

"Well you see, we are sick of Hunter and his little games and attacks, so we thought up a plan to get Hunter back. Shane, Andrew, Jeff and Matt formed a plan behind our backs, so we decided to form one on our own, but more well thought out and sneakier, and right now we are getting some people to help us, so far we got Undertaker and Kane on our side, and right now Chyna is talking to Jericho and I already know that we will have Benoit on our side. So I was hoping you two would like to join us, I know you guys got to hate Hunter and the things he is doing, just as much as us." 

Spike nodded. "Triple H gets away with a lot of things he shouldn't, sort of like my brothers." 

Molly nodded as well. "Triple H is a meanie, he took Kane's belt from him, Kane is a real sweetheart and totally didn't deserve that." 

Lita smiled. "That is why it would be perfect for you two to join us, we are forming a team, a team that will eventually bring Triple H down. We'll attack him from every side, using logic; There is one problem, Kurt, Edge and Christian might be with us as well, and I know Kurt hasn't been the most friendliest guy to you." 

Spike scrunched up his nose. "No he hasn't, he threatened Molly and on various times attacked me, I don't like him, but I dislike Hunter more, so I guess if Kurt stays out of our way, we'll do the same." 

Molly nodded. "We're in Lita." 

Lita smiled, hugging Molly Holly out of the blue, a hug which Molly reacted to by hugging Lita back. "This is great guys, you won't regret this! Oh by the way, do NOT tell Shane, Andrew, Jeff or Matt about our plan okay?" 

Molly and Spike nodded. "Okay," they said in unison.   


Lita waved and ran back into the building, she grabbed her black cell phone and flipped it open. "Hey Stephanie, I just got done talking with Spike and Molly, they're in, how about Team ECK? Oh that's good, so the con-chair-to will be paying Hunter a visit real soon? That's awesome, is Chyna still talking to Jericho? Hah, what do you think they are talking about? I mean obviously getting him to join sides with us isn't going to take that much, you think they're... oh shut up Stephanie, you are too funny, okay talk to you in a few girl." 

Lita shut her phone off and walked into her locker-room with a grin on her face, things were going great, and if they continued this way, Hunter would be begging for their mercy and Shane and the guys would be feeling idiotic from keeping their plan away from her, Stephanie and Chyna.   


**::: Jericho's locker-room :::**

"So was there something you needed to ask me?" Jericho asked, pouring himself something to drink, he shot Chyna a look before sitting down in a chair. 

Jericho had NOT been expecting to see Chyna, they hadn't really talked to each other in a whole year, and now here she was knocking on his locker-room door, saying how she needed to tell him something. 

"Yeah..." Chyna said, pacing back and forth, avoiding eye contact with Jericho. "Listen Chris---" Chyna's voice was cut off by Jericho. 

"Chris?" Jericho asked, smirking. 

Chyna rolled his eyes, this was just like Jericho, to pull this little game when she was trying to ask him something important, just like him to look incredibly adorable when she was trying to be serious. 

"Shut up, look _Jericho _you're sick of Helmsley too right?" Chyna asked, finally looking at Jericho. 

Jericho nodded. "Of course I am, him along with Austin, but Austin seems to be staying out of trouble as of late, anyways, why do you ask?" Jericho stared at Chyna, questioningly. 

"Me, Lita, and Stephanie are forming a plan, a plan to take Hunter down. Shane, Andrew, Jeff and Matt had been forming one behind our backs, trying to protect us, so we thought we would form one on our own, to show them that we can handle ourselves. So far we have Mark, Kane, Spike, Molly, Benoit, Edge, Kurt, and Christian on our side. And I was wondering---" Chyna's voice trailed off. 

Jericho smirked. "And you were wondering if I would be gracious enough to join sides with you and your little army of self righteous guardian angels? Why would I? Me and you haven't talked in over a year and the last time we did wasn't on best terms, so I don't think I owe you anything." 

Chyna rolled his eyes, now he was no longer adorable, now he was just an asshole. "Look Jericho, don't treat me like this, I came to you to ask you a simple question, but if you can't answer it, then I'll just go..." Chyna turned to leave but turned around when she felt Jericho's hand touch her arm. 

"Don't go." Jericho said quickly. "I'll join, I guess you don't want me to tell Shane, Andrew, Jeff and Matt about the plans right?" Jericho asked, smiling softly. 

"Yeah, we don't want them to know what we are planning. Our plan will come into action on Monday Night Raw, Kane will be fighting Hunter for his belt, with Mark in Kane's corner. We're going to make sure to have an ambush attack if needed, but knowing Kane, he won't need it." Chyna smiled. 

"No problem, but just to let you guys know, there is rumors going around how Trish and Albert are going to be helping Hunter in his match against Big Show tonight, so we are going to have Albert and Trish to deal with, just to let you know." Jericho leaned back into the couch. "So you, Lita and Stephanie are working together huh? I never thought you and Stephanie would ever work on something together." 

Chyna shrugged. "Well everyone deserves a second chance right?" Chyna asked looking into Jericho's eyes. 

Jericho nodded slowly, looking into Chyna's eyes, trying to wonder if the question was about Stephanie or him. _Everyone deserves a second chance... _even them? They hadn't talked in over a year, but his feelings for Chyna hadn't changed, he still felt strong emotions for her, those sort of emotions never go away. "Yeah I guess, although I know Stephanie is changed, I'm just glad you two are being friendly with each other. Well definitely count me in on your plan, and don't worry I won't blab it to anyone." 

Chyna smiled again, despite whenever she did and she got a smile from Jericho, she felt butterflies in her stomach. Chyna was not a sort of person who got butterflies in her stomach, but Chris Jericho gave her butterflies. Even after a year he still gave her butterflies, it was incredible how he affected her. "Okay, see you at RAW." 

Jericho nodded. "Yeah see you at RAW." 

Chyna nodded and walked out of the locker-room, she took in a deep breath as she walked down the halls, why did he affect her so much? Not even Hunter had this sort of impact on her, Chyna grimaced when she thought of Hunter, he was going down. Hunter liked to victimize people, he liked to be in charge, first he had victimized her, and now he was doing the same to Stephanie, but this time he wouldn't get that chance, not if Chyna had anything to do with it. 

Chyna grabbed her cell phone, she flipped it open and dialed Stephanie's cell number. "Hey Stephanie, yeah just got done talking to Jericho, he's in, who else do we have on our side? Oh really APA? How did you get them to listen to you?" Chyna paused to laugh. "You bribed them with beer for them to listen to you? Well they love their beer, so they're definitely in? Who else? Rhyno? Well yeah considering that he's friends with Edge, Kurt and Christian, uh huh okay. Great, be careful, okay bye." 

Chyna clicked 'end' on her phone and stuffed it back in her pant's pocket, she had a pensive look on her face, Stephanie had told her that she was going somewhere, but wouldn't tell her where, that wasn't what she was worried about, what was worrying her was what if she bumped into Hunter again? The sooner they terminated Hunter the better, Chyna didn't know if she could handle being worried about Stephanie much longer.   


**::: Kurt's locker-room :::**

"So here's the plan..." Kurt paused as he saw Rhyno come walking in. "You're late." Kurt said, pointing to the clock. "I said be here 10 minutes ago." 

"Sorry, I had business to do." Rhyno shrugged sitting down. 

Christian looked away from Edge and saw the look on Kurt's face. "Kurt just continue with the plan." 

Edge nodded. "Yeah Kurt, what's the plan?" 

Kurt shook his head and then sat down next to Christian. "Trish and Albert are rumored to be interfering the Big Show match tonight, which means that Hunter will probably win..." 

Rhyno grunted. "That is where we come in right?" 

Kurt nodded. "Right. We come through the crowd as Albert goes to walk in the ring, Edge and Christian you two hit him with a con-chair-to before he can get into the ring. Rhyno you gore Trish and I'll give Hunter a angle slam when the ref isn't looking and then that will give Big Show time to pick up the win. Rhyno, you don't have a problem goring Trish do you?" 

Rhyno shook his head. "I didn't have a problem giving it to Lita or Molly Holly, I sure as hell don't mind giving it to Trish. Actually, I might find it a little enjoyable." Rhyno grinned. 

Edge laughed. "Oh dude this is going to be brutal." 

Christian smirked, nodding. "You know how long I have wanted to give Albert a con-chair-to?" 

Rhyno shook his head. "So how do we know when to come through the crowd?" Rhyno asked, ignoring Christian and Edge and paying his full attention to Kurt. 

"We'll be hiding in the crowd when the match begins, and then when we see Albert descending into the ring, we make our move, we got to make this fast. We can't give them any time to think, the second we see Albert and Trish we jump into action, no hesitance." 

Rhyno nodded. "Alright." 

Christian smirked. "This is going to reek of awesomeness." 

Edge nodded. "It SO is!" 

Kurt sighed and shared a look with Rhyno. "Okay so meet you guys right before the match." Kurt said, indicating that the speech was over. 

Edge nodded. "Alright dude, see you out there." Edge said as he and Christian left.   


Kurt groaned. "Sometimes I swear..." 

Rhyno rolled his eyes. "Don't get me started on their *language*, what the hell is awesomeness?" 

Kurt snorted, shaking his head. "Awesome with a -ness added to the end of it?" 

Rhyno laughed, a short and small laugh, but a laugh nonetheless. "I knew that much."   


**::: Triple H/Big Show match :::**

Hunter paced in the ring nervously as the referee made Big Show drop the sledgehammer, and for that much Hunter was relieved. Hunter was having a hard enough time making sure Big Show didn't get to the three count, Big Show was more ready for this match then he was. Hunter had beat Big Show a few times in the past but this time was different, he was being thrown around in the ring like a rag doll. Hunter ducked Big Show's first move but was then trapped in his second, Hunter let out a scream as he got thrown to the mat, his back grounding into the mat.   


Stephanie sat in her locker-room watching the Triple H and Big Show match on the television screen in her locker-room with Shane and Andrew sitting next to her. Stephanie pulled her hair up into a ponytail, as she watched was going on.   


_"Triple H is not succeeding in this match at all. Commissioner William Regal set this match as punishment for what Triple H did to Stephanie on Smackdown, 2 weeks ago." _JR commented.

_"And what justified punishment this is, Triple H can hardly get a move on Big Show. This is an important match for Big Show, if Big Show succeeds in punishing Triple H, this could be impressive work to Vince." _Michael Cole replied.

_"So pretty much Big Show is just sucking up..." _JR said, adjusting his glasses.

_"Well yeah... wait what's this? Trish and Albert are running in to help Triple H! I can't believe this!" _Michael Cole exclaimed as Trish and Albert ran up to the ring.   


Stephanie jumped up from the couch, a look of shock on her face. "What the hell is this?" Stephanie screamed. Stephanie had expected interference, but she wasn't expecting to see that it was Trish and Albert.

"Figures Albert and Trish would join sides with Hunter, this is exactly something like them to do." Andrew muttered, his arms crossed against his chest as he watched the match.   


_"Wait, what's this now? Kurt Angle, Rhyno, Christian and Edge have just emerged from the crowd!" _JR commented as he watched Kurt, Christian, Edge and Rhyno run up to the ring.

_"Oh man! Albert just received a con-chair-to from Christian and Edge! Trish got a gore by Rhyno! Earl Hebner is seeing if Trish is okay and bam while the ref's back is turned Kurt gives Triple H an angle slam!" _Michael Cole screamed into his headset.

_"This was a complete set up, looks like team ECK along with Rhyno are not too happy with Triple H!" _JR said, in his usual calm voice.

_"And let's remember Kurt is friends with Stephanie, so that could also be the reason of this attack plus like team ECK is always saying, they're always a step ahead of people, you never know what team ECK is going to do." _Michael Cole replied.

_"Or team RECK, let's remember Rhyno is a part of this." _JR said, watching Kurt slip out of the ring.

_"Big Show is going for the pin... 1, 2, 3! And Big Show is the winner of this match with a little help from team RECK!" _Michael Cole said, raising his voice.   


Stephanie widened her eyes as she watched everything play out on the screen, she could hardly believe what had just happened, Kurt along with Christian, Edge and Rhyno had purposely caused Big Show the win. This had not been part of the plan, tonight Hunter was going to have his victory and then on RAW he would lose, but obviously team RECK had different plans.

"What the hell was that?" Shane asked, pacing back and forth in the locker-room.

Stephanie smiled. "That was my best friend, got a problem with him?"   


_"Wait Michael, this match doesn't seem to be over with, Albert has recovered from the con-chair-to and is heading after Kurt Angle... oh he just gave Kurt a british bulldog, that has to hurt!" _JR said, grimacing.   


Stephanie looked at the screen with wide eyes, as she watched Kurt writhing in pain. "Oh god..." Stephanie muttered, as she saw the referees trying to separate Albert away from Kurt. Stephanie let out a sigh of relief once she saw Rhyno give Albert a gore to save Kurt from another british bulldog, she then watched Christian and Edge pull Kurt up and then they all ran out out of the arena, escaping through the crowd.   


_"Big Show may have won this battle with the help of team RECK, but I have a feeling, the war is far from over." _Michael Cole said, when he saw Hunter slide out of the ring with Trish and help Albert up.   


**NEXT IN TAINTED:******

Stephanie confronts Kurt, Christian, Edge and Rhyno on their attack on Hunter, Albert and Trish on Smackdown.

Shane and Andrew question Kane on why he didn't fight Hunter on Smackdown.

Steve agrees to help Stephanie.

Andrew continues to worry about Stephanie. 


	13. New Eras

djkg **::: UC Medical Center :::**

Stephanie walked into UC medical center which was crowded with people wanting attention for their injuries and illnesses, Stephanie glanced at a young woman who was sitting alone in a chair, her eye was cut up and Stephanie could see some prior bruises that were sort of faded on her face. Stephanie sighed sadly, Stephanie hated hospitals, they gave off a horrible feel and Stephanie couldn't stand that the fact that *so* many people got hurt, before she could handle it, but lately she couldn't handle the abuse people were getting in this world. Stephanie had been treated like a princess her whole life, so she hadn't really bothered looking past herself and seeing other people's problems, but with the whole Hunter problem Stephanie would occasionally see a person hurt and her heart would go out to that person. Pain was a horrible thing, a horrible emotion, and lately Stephanie had felt too much of it, and now she could see she was not the only one. There were people out there that didn't have places to live, there were people out there that were being abused everyday and had no one to turn to... Stephanie had been lucky, she had people to turn to for help, but not everyone was so lucky. 

"Excuse me miss?" Stephanie stopped her steady walking, she stared at the young woman. "Hi I'm Stephanie." Stephanie sat down next to the young woman, and flashed her a soft small, not too bright, she wanted to offer the girl some comfort, not scare her off. 

"H-hi." The young woman looked up from her shaking hands, she looked into Stephanie's shining blue eyes. They were the most beautiful thing she had seen in her life, even her name sounded nice. _Stephanie. _What a beautiful name, way more beautiful then her ol' plain name. "M-my name is Jenny." 

Stephanie smiled warmly. "Hi Jenny." Stephanie stared into Jenny's wounded eyes, they looked so scared and hurt, Stephanie could feel tears pricking at her eyes just by staring at Jenny. "Are you okay?" Stephanie asked carefully, not wanting to upset Jenny. 

Jenny nodded slowly. "Yes miss I am, was there something I could do for you?" 

Stephanie shook her head slowly. "I walked in here and caught a glimpse of you and you looked like the saddest thing ever, I thought you might want some company. I came here to see my friend, he got hurt, but I just couldn't bare not asking if you were okay." 

Jenny stared at Stephanie carefully, she didn't even know this girl, but by staring at her, she could feel the warmth inside Stephanie. "You don't even know me, why would you care?" 

Stephanie smiled. "Let me tell you a story. I could lie and tell you I know how you feel and that I lived a horrible life, but I don't want to lie. I grew up in a rich family, I was treated like a princess, my daddy cherished me so, I had the perfect life. My father, Vince McMahon, owns the company WWF, he's the chairman, the best one in my opinion. My mom, Linda McMahon, was the CEO, and my brother, Shane McMahon, was a fellow wrestler, he also helped my dad out on some business. We were the perfect family, and we would have been, but see in the year 1999 something horrible happened, I was being stalked by a fellow wrestler by the name of the Undertaker. He would leave me cryptic messages, he finally kidnapped me, see the Undertaker was in the black magics and that sort of thing, well he tried to perform a black wedding on me, but this other wrestler, Stone Cold Steve Austin, he came to my rescue, he saved me. After that I felt so scared, so lonely, so I turned to this wrestler, his real name is Andrew Martin, for love and comfort. Everything was going great for us, I was falling in love and then he asked me to marry him and of course I said yes, but see we never got to do the wedding, I was hit on the head with a trash can and I got amnesia, I recovered and we set another wedding date, but we never got to that wedding either because I was already married to Triple H, another wrestler. See I was pissed off at the world, mainly pissed off at my brother and my father for making me endure so much pain, so a few weeks before my wedding to Andrew, I went to Triple H, aka Hunter, and asked him to help me get my revenge, he agreed. So that had been the beginning of the Helmlsey-McMahon reign, and what a reign it had been. It lasted two long years, but within those two years I had been drained, I never loved Hunter, I was in love with Andrew, but I knew that I would be kicked out of the family if I left Hunter, so I stayed. I loved my father that much, I loved him so much that I would ignore my heart and stay with Hunter. But then about a month ago I was accompanying Hunter to a match against Andrew and I let my heart get in the way, I distracted the ref so Hunter wouldn't hit Andrew with a sledgehammer, but Hunter had grabbed Andrew and Andrew's body had plowed into mine, and I had fallen off the ring and hit my head on the stairs, and injured myself. I was taken to the hospital by my brother, who I loved so much but had grown apart from because of the things I was doing and the man I was supporting; Shane reached out to me, he wanted to get to know me again, and I wanted that so badly. So I left with him, we went up to this cabin we used to go to every year as kids, in that cabin me and Shane got to know each other again, he told me he would be there for me no matter what my decision was, and that encouraged me to write Hunter and Andrew letters, telling them what my heart was telling me. I wrote Hunter and told him how I couldn't pretend to love a person I didn't love and that it was over between us, and then I wrote Andrew and told him how no matter where he or I was in our lives, that my heart would always belong to him. I came back to the WWF a few weeks later to find my letters affected a lot of people, I started a new chapter of my life when I walked back into the WWF. A chapter of my life that I was going to do right, I made friends, loyal friends, good friends. But Hunter had different plans, he challenged Andrew to a match and I got in the way and he attacked me verbally, he called me a slut, and that word hurt so badly, I lost all touch of reality and I slapped him, he tried to attack me but my friends came and saved me. But right there and then in that ring I knew it was far from over, I knew that he would never let me go, no matter where I ran, he would always follow me and continue to taunt me and torment me. But I would not go back to him, because my heart still belongs to Andrew, and always will. Me and Andrew made up over Christmas, we kissed under the mistletoe, I told him how I didn't want to spend one more Christmas without him by my side, he told me he loved me and didn't want me to be alone anymore, he didn't want to be alone anymore, and that was the starting of our relationship. I love Andrew so much, he makes my life so wonderful, but it won't be our life until I get Hunter out of the way. See I saw you and you reminded me so much of me, and I thought you would like to know that it's never too late, to start your life over, to make a new one." Stephanie finished talking, and handed Jenny her handkerchief. 

Jenny brushed the tears away and smiled at Stephanie. "Wow, what a story. Thank you for telling me it, I just don't understand how you lived through it, I would never be strong enough to do that." 

Stephanie shook her head. "Your inner strength can really surprise you, mine surprised me. Don't ever give up Jenny, because no matter what you think, **YOU **are in charge of your own life, and one day you will wake up and see that, and when you do, it will be a beautiful realization. There is a whole world waiting for you to join it Jenny, don't let someone keep you away from it, this person you think loves you, loves you so much that is why he hits you, doesn't love you, he wouldn't hit you if he loved you. I have experienced love, and love... it's supposed to make you happy, and I don't think you are. I have to go, but if you ever find happiness come to the WWF, I would love to hear **your **story." 

Jenny smiled. "Thanks Stephanie." Jenny watched Stephanie get up and walk off, she stared after the young woman who had just opened up to her, Jenny touched her bruises, and continued to stare after Stephanie.   


Stephanie smiled confidently to herself, she had given Jenny a little hope, at least Stephanie hoped she did; Stephanie had never done something like that, just go up to someone and open up to them like that, but telling Jenny everything that had happened to her, made Stephanie a little more proud of herself and what she had gone through. Everything had happened so fast in the past month, that Stephanie didn't have the time to take a step back and say "look what I have been through." She didn't have the time to examine all the heartache and pain she endured to get where she was, she didn't have the time to look at the friends she had made, and the love she had gotten back. But now she had a few minutes to think about it, Stephanie was damn proud of herself, she had accomplished a lot of things in this past month, and she was proud of how she handled things. She had made good friends, gotten Andrew back, formed a plan to bring down Hunter, and she had given a girl some inspiration. Stephanie's smile faded away as she neared Kurt's hospital room, she could hear the faint voices of Edge, Christian and Rhyno. Images of what happened on Smackdown flew through Stephanie's head... how Albert had attacked Kurt, and how Rhyno had given Albert a gore to save Kurt from anymore injuries, how Christian and Edge had carried Kurt out of the arena, they had left for the hospital before Stephanie could check on Kurt, but she already knew he would be in some serious pain, he had already had a injured tailbone and he was just getting over a mild concussion. 

Stephanie took in a deep breath and peeked her head in the hospital room. "Hey guys." Stephanie said quietly, but loud enough to get the attention of the men in the room. 

Christian nodded at Stephanie. "Come on in Steph, we were just hanging." 

Edge grinned. "Did you see what happened on Smackdown, was that brutal or what?" 

Stephanie shook her head. "Brutal? Yeah, but in what sense? In the sense that what you guys did on Smackdown was smart? Because that would be a no, what the hell were you guys thinking? That wasn't part of the plan, we were going to start the action on RAW, but I never said anything about that ambush attack you guys did." 

Rhyno shook his head, rolling his eyes. "We just decided to emphasize a bit." 

Stephanie threw her hands in the air. "Emphasize? Well your emphasizing could have got Kurt hurt worse then he is right now, the plan was simple, we attacked on RAW, not Smackdown. You had no one to back you guys up." 

Edge snorted. "We didn't need backup, we were just fine, we did a great job. Albert just took us by surprise, we all knew the risk of our plan, but we did it anyways, and plus Kurt was the leader of this whole thing you know? He planned this whole charade, and he fully knew that one of us could get hurt, but we all agreed to do this, so don't come in here, saying we didn't think this through." 

Stephanie laughed. "We all got together even before Smackdown and we all agreed that we were going to do this plan together, and if anything was to change, to talk to me, Lita or Chyna. This is a team effort and you four were not doing a team effort." 

Christian shook his head. "We were doing a team effort, team RECK effort. We got their attention... Trish, Albert and Hunter will now know to look out for us, because the war has just begun, and they will never know our next move." 

Stephanie sighed softly. "And what if they decide to go after Kurt again?"   


Kurt let out a cough, getting everybody's attention. "Since you guys love talking about me like I'm not even here so much, should I leave?" 

Stephanie turned to Kurt, giving him a stern look. "No, I want to talk to you. What were you thinking coming up with a plan like this? You were already injured, and you actually thought that this was the smart thing to do?" Stephanie raised up her eyebrows in questioning. 

Kurt sighed, throwing his legs over the hospital bed. "You know what? I'm sick of everyone berating my ideas or plans, I'm sick of everyone treating me like a twerp, and I decided to do something about it. This was a plan about team RECK and me, not a plan about you. Despite what everyone thinks, I do give a shit about something more then my medals, and I'm sick of team RECK not getting what we want. I'm going to take a walk now, if you'll excuse me..." Kurt grabbed his coat and walked off. 

Christian pulled Edge up and stared at Stephanie. "Listen it may have been a stupid plan to you, but it wasn't to us, and now if you will excuse us, we got to catch up with Kurt." Christian replied walking out of the hospital room with Edge and Rhyno in tow as they searched for Kurt.   


Stephanie watched Christian, Edge and Rhyno leave, she sighed in defeat as she let herself fall onto Kurt's hospital bed. Okay so she had her pride, but her friendships were falling apart; This was not good. When was the last time she had seen Kurt without Rhyno, Christian or/and Edge? Kurt was up to something, she could smell it, but what hurt the worse, was that Kurt was keeping her out of his plans. She had been best friends with Kurt since he walked into the WWF and now he was forming team plans without her... Kurt was right, the attack on Trish, Albert and Hunter had nothing to do with her, it had something to do with team RECK, which she had nothing to do with.   


**::: Kane and Mark's locker-room :::**

Andrew turned to Shane, giving Shane a uncertain look. "Oh come on Shane, I don't know why Kane didn't show up for the match, but that doesn't mean we have to come down to their locker-room and confront them, do you remember how big they are? They could crush us, one of them refers to himself as the dead man, you don't want to mess with the dead man." 

Shane rolled his eyes. "Kane gave us his word, and then he backed down on it, and I am not going to back down just because he's a tad bit taller then me." 

Andrew snorted. "A tad bit? The man is HUGE! And I will not be responsible for what that giant does to you!" 

Shane shook his head. "Kane is a sweet guy at heart." 

"Yeah when you get past his HUGENESS!" Andrew exclaimed. 

Shane sighed. "Will you please get past that?" 

Andrew groaned. "NO! The man doesn't like authority from what I hear, and I do not want to be given the choke slam or the last ride, those are real painful and I don't want to endure that sort of pain." 

Shane shook his head. "Then leave, I can do this alone." Shane knocked on the locker-room door. 

Andrew slapped his hand against his forehead. "No I can't leave you here, and that's not because you're my friend or anything, if I left you here, I would never hear the end of it from your sister."   


"Yeah?" Mark asked, as he opened the door. Mark stared at Shane and Andrew with a pensive look on his face, he shrugged and motioned for them to come in. "What do you boys need?" 

Shane crossed his arms across his chest. "Where's Kane?" 

Mark pushed his hair back. "At the deli a few blocks away from the arena, he's getting lunch today, is there something I could help you with?" 

Andrew shook his head. "Nope, we'll be leaving now." 

Shane pulled Andrew down on the couch. "Yeah you can help us, what the hell happened last night? Kane was supposed to fight Hunter for his belt last night, but Kane never showed up." 

Mark nodded, then shrugged. "Oh yeah that, sorry change of plans. Kane decided against it at the last moment, sorry if it set you boys back or anything. We just thought it would be wise not to attack Hunter at this given time, I'm not real keen on my brother getting another broken arm." 

Shane's eyes widened. "But you two gave us your word." 

"Well they're just words okay? I don't need my brother getting hurt, words are meant to be broken, just like promises. Don't take it personal, if you two weren't so riled up because me and my brother broke our word to you, you two would understand that those girls don't need you protecting them like they are pieces of glass that are going to break any second. They're strong, why don't you start treating them that way, instead of seeing the vulnerable things you want to see?" Mark took a drink of his coffee. 

Andrew shook his head. "You don't understand..." 

"I understand perfectly, you love the little princess. You would give anything to make sure she is okay, hey it's sweet and all, but she doesn't need you and her brother looming over her, berating her every little move. She doesn't need her guardian angels guarding her all the time, she's strong. She's been through a lot, and the princess has survived it all, so why don't you two pay a little respect and stop underestimating her and get the hell out of my locker-room?" Mark glared at Shane and Andrew. 

Andrew got up. "Come on Shane." 

Shane got up, but stood his ground. "I trusted you and Kane to come through for us." 

Mark shrugged. "There's your first mistake kiddo, don't trust anyone around here, especially the brothers of destruction, we got our own agenda. Now leave, do you need me to show you the way?" 

Shane glared. "No I got it, come on Andrew."   


Mark watched Shane and Andrew leave his locker-room, he smirked as Lita walked out of the closet. "So redhead, how was I?" 

Lita smirked. "Definitely great acting skills, I really believed you were pissed off at them."'   


**::: Vince's office :::******

"Is my dad around?" Stephanie asked as she walked into Vince's office.

Steve looked up from his WWF championship belt and shook his head. "Nope, out with your mom." Steve replied, with a scrunch of his nose.

"Oh." Stephanie said a little disappointed, she needed a family member to talk to, and she couldn't find anyone; She had no idea where Shane was and now her dad was gone.

Steve looked at Stephanie, a curious look reflecting in his blue eyes. "Don't know when he'll be back, but you're free to hang out here with me."

Stephanie stared at Steve and felt the urge to say "no way in hell", but then she nodded, and sat down in her father's chair, and smiled softly at Steve. He wasn't as bad as everyone said he was, sure he went a little insane at times, but there were times she could see a little bit of his soul shining brightly, but as soon as she saw it, the light would be gone and he would return to his jackass mode. "Where's Debra?"

Steve smirked. "She's with her mom, her mom's birthday is today so she went, I didn't feel like it."

"Oh." Stephanie said, looking down at her hands.

Steve cocked his head, examining the look on Stephanie's face, disappointment and anxiousness was etched across her young features. "Was there something I could do for you?"

Stephanie looked up and locked her blue eyes into Steve's, as she tried to decide if he was the person she should go to. Steve Austin was the most sane person, but he was the only one around. "I have a problem."

Steve nodded. "What kind of a problem?"

Stephanie bit down on her bottom lip. "See Shane, Andrew, Jeff and Matt formed this plan to take down Hunter behind our backs, once me, Lita and Chyna found out, we were mad that they were treating us like we were so vulnerable so we came up with our own plan to take him down. But it's not working like how I thought it would, I need a surprise ally, a person that Hunter would never expect to betray him, but I can't think of anybody."

Steve nodding, thinking. "What about me?"

Stephanie stared at Steve in shock, was he actually willing to help her? "What about you?" Stephanie asked, trying to find out what he was hinting at.

Steve shook his head. "I can help, Hunter won't be looking out for me, so I could easily betray him. I heard he has a title match against Kane on RAW, I can pretend to be on his side, and then at the last moment, I can betray him. Maybe after Kane wins, give Hunter a few chair shots, a stunner or two, that is if you need me."

Stephanie was silent for a long time, taking all this in, Steve was right; Hunter would never expect Steve to betray them, it would be the perfect plan. Although the rest of the team didn't like Steve... but Steve could be her secret weapon, it would take Hunter by complete surprise. "Alright, great!"

Steve smiled. "Oh and I also heard that tonight on Heat that you are teaming up with Benoit to fight Hunter and Trish in a inter-gender tag team match."

Stephanie's eyes widened in shock. "What? I had no idea --- I can't wrestler, I don't know any moves, except slapping and pulling hair." Stephanie frowned.

Steve smirked. "Well get some tips from some people, how about your friends? Ask Lita, she can help you."

Stephanie smiled. "So I'll see you on RAW?"

Steve nodded. "Yeah."

Stephanie smiled again. "Thanks, bye Steve."

Steve waved. "See ya Stephanie."   


Stephanie walked out of her father's office, a smile on her face; The plan was now better then ever, she now had Steve on their side, he was an ally Hunter would never see hitting him. Stephanie frowned when she remembered that she was going to have to be in a match on Heat tonight, what in the world was Regal thinking?   


**::: Lita/Hardy Boyz's locker-room :::******

"I don't know how to wrestle, so how in the world am I going to help Benoit in our tag team match tonight against Trish and Hunter?" Stephanie raised her voice, her blue eyes bouncing back and forth to Lita, Jeff and Matt.

"Calm down." Matt started. "We can teach you a few moves, not a swanton bomb, but a few, and you can get some tips from Benoit before the match."

Jeff nodded. "First off, we can teach you the twist of fate."

Lita nodded. "Yeah, that one is easy, and then we can teach you how to do a power bomb."

Stephanie looked at Jeff, Matt and Lita with an uncertain look in her eyes. "I don't think I would be able to learn all these moves in a few hours."

Lita bit on her bottom lip. "Well you have to, unless you want to make a fool out of yourself tonight on Heat. Don't worry you can do it."

Matt nodded. "And then there are the simple moves like the big elbow, or a suplex. In a suplex all you have to do is wrap your arms around your opponent's waist and flip them over, watch."

Matt got behind Jeff and wrapped his arms around Jeff's waist and then he flipped him over. "See?"

Jeff rubbed his neck. "That hurt." Jeff whined.

"That's the point." Matt pointed out. "It will be much easier for you to do on Trish, and she doesn't have any moves herself, so not only will you surprise her by these moves, you'll be more experienced then her."

Lita nodded. "And one thing that is always good is the clothesline, push Trish into the ropes and bring out your arm and let it connect with her throat, add some force once it comes in contact, it will send her flying down to the mat. Moves on the turnbuckle are always tricky but you can get on the turnbuckle and drop the big elbow, that will prove to be effective."

Jeff smiled, then nodded. "And submission skills are good too, ask Benoit to teach you how to do the crippler crossface."

Stephanie ran her hands through her hair. "Okay this is going to be a long few hours. So how do you exactly do this twist of fate?"

Lita smirked. "Watch and learn."   


**::: Benoit's locker-room :::******

"So what do you know how to do so far?" Benoit asked, as he got ready for his and Stephanie's match.

Stephanie sat on the couch, tying the laces to her sneakers. "Matt, Jeff and Lita taught me how to do the twist of fate, a clothesline, the big elbow and a suplex. Oh and also this thing where I wrap my legs around my opponent's neck and twist their body around."

Benoit smirked. "The hurracanrana?"

Stephanie nodded. "Oh yeah that is what it's called. But Lita said to ask you to teach me how to do the crippler crossface."

Benoit nodded, walking over to Stephanie. "Alright, let me perform it on your first, and then you try on me."

Stephanie shook her head, planting her hands on her hips when she got up. "No way, I know how those things hurt. How about I try it on you myself?"

Benoit smirked. "Okay, here is me passed out on the mat, do the crippler crossface on me."

Stephanie nodded and bent down next to Benoit who was laid out on his stomach. "Okay here I go." Stephanie placed one arm around Benoit's throat, and put the other on his face, and pulled his neck back. "Am I doing it right?"

Benoit tried to say something, but couldn't find the words, despite she was doing it wrong, it hurt like hell. Benoit squirmed when he felt Stephanie's knee dig into his back. "Ow! ow! ow! Okay I give."   


"Hey Chris I was wonderin---" Jericho stopped in the middle of his sentence when he saw Stephanie giving Benoit the crippler crossface, Jericho smirked when he saw Benoit tapping out. "Alright Steph."

Benoit let out a deep breath once Stephanie let him go, he pushed himself up and threw a look in Jericho's direction. "What did you want?" Benoit turned to Stephanie. "That was good, just apply more pressure when you do it on Trish."

Jericho crossed his arms across his chest. "Look like it was applying enough pressure to me, you look like you were about to scream 'uncle' out as loud as you could."

Stephanie smiled, bouncing a bit. "So I should it on Trish then?"

Jericho nodded. "Most definitely. Nice attire, baggy and comfortable clothes, better then some of that tight stuff Trish and Terri wear."

Stephanie nodded looking down at her clothes; She was wearing a long sleeved black t-shirt with a dragon symbol on the front of it, long baggy black pants and white sneakers and her long brown hair was in braided pigtails. "Yeah I learned a lot of moves today, so I wanted to wear something I would be able to do the moves in, I don't see how Trish and Terri do moves in their skin tight clothes."

Benoit smirked. "They don't have moves to do, that's their little secret."

Stephanie smirked. "Well I have to go talk to Lita, before the match begins, so see you out there Chris."

Benoit nodded. "See you Stephanie."   


Jericho turned to Benoit once Stephanie left the locker-room. "She really hurt you didn't she?" Jericho smirked.

Benoit rubbed his neck, glaring at Jericho. "That stays in here."

Jericho laughed. "Sure, I won't tell anyone Stephanie McMahon made you tap out of your own submission move."   


**::: Chris Benoit & Stephanie McMahon vs. Triple H & Trish Stratus :::******

Andrew looked at the television screen with a worried look on his face, he had been so busy with Shane today, that he didn't even hear the news of Stephanie and Benoit teaming up against Hunter and Trish until the last moment, and when he found out, it was too late to stop Stephanie. And now all he could do was watch the match and hope that things didn't go crazy, Andrew frowned when he saw Hunter staring at Stephanie who busy waiting for a tag in. Andrew didn't like the look on Hunter's face, it was a crazed look, which made him worry about Stephanie's welfare even more. Andrew knew Benoit would protect Stephanie the best he could, but that still didn't ease Andrew's concern.

"She's going to get hurt." Andrew muttered to Shane who was watching the match as well.

Shane rubbed his hands over his face, trying not to lose it in front of Andrew, but Shane was worried as well. Why hadn't Stephanie told him she was going to tag team with Benoit? Why was she? Stephanie didn't even know how to wrestle, why would she do something like this? "Benoit will protect her."

Andrew shook her head. "But there could be one second when he can't, like maybe when Stephanie actually gets tagged in, and then she's open game for Hunter."

Shane frowned. "She won't get tagged in ---" Shane stopped in the middle of his sentence when he saw Benoit tag in Stephanie. "Oh shit."

Andrew watched carefully, he saw Hunter still in the ring and not tagging Trish in, Andrew felt his insides start to freak out, he let his eyes bounce over to Benoit who had a shocked look on his face. "Hunter's in there with her, now do I have the right to be freaked out?"

Shane nodded slowly, as he watched Stephanie back away from Hunter, he watched her duck Hunter's advances. Hunter tried to grab Stephanie but was grabbed by the hair by Benoit; Benoit threw Hunter into the ring post, and backed off when the ref yelled at him. "Oh look Hunter's going over to Trish..." Shane said quietly as he watched Hunter tag Trish in.

Andrew nodded silently, but inside he was still freaked out, Hunter had tried to attack her, and if hadn't been for Benoit's interference Stephanie could have gotten hurt. They were getting too many close calls, there were too many times that Hunter could have hurt Stephanie but she was rescued at the last moment by someone.   


_"Now Trish and Stephanie are the legal people in, last time we saw Trish and Stephanie fight, was at 'No Way Out', and that wasn't a pleasant thing to watch; Even though Stephanie and Trish may be good looking, they really don't have any wrestling skills, I don't know what they are even doing in this ring." _Michael Cole commented.

_"I just love seeing cat fights, it energizes me." _Tazz replied, smirking. _"How can you not like seeing two beautiful fighting it out?" _Tazz added to his last statement.

_"I never said I didn't like seeing women fight, I have no problem seeing Lita and Chyna fight, but Trish and Stephanie don't interest me. They are better with the mic skills and annoying interference." _Michael Cole said, watching the match, with disinterest in his eyes.

_"Whoa! Stephanie just did a running clothesline on Trish! Looks like the billion dollar princess has a few moves up her sleeve." _Tazz commented, as he watched the match.

_"I can't believe--- ouch, Stephanie just gave Trish the twist of fate!" _Michael Cole replied, sitting up in his seat, getting a little more interested in the match.

_"The twist of fate? Hey doesn't that move belong to the Hardy Boyz?" _Tazz asked.

_"Yeah," _Michael Cole replied, nodding his head. _"Looks like Stephanie's friends The Hardy Boyz and Lita taught Stephanie a few moves before the match."___

_"Whatever it is, Stephanie is kicking ass." _Tazz said, smirking.

_"Well Trish Stratus isn't really a worthy opponent..." _Michael Cole commented.

Tazz shook his head. _"You never know when to admit defeat do you? All you do is criticize, criticize, and even more criticizing! I think Stephanie is doing pretty good out there if you ask me, the girl has gained some spunk. Come on did you see what she did on Smackdown two weeks ago? She stood up to Triple H, The Game, the cerebral assassin! I like Stephanie McMahon, she's got good friends, good moves, and the spunk to back it all up!"___

Michael Cole sighed. _"Oh look at that Stephanie just got on the turnbuckle, this might prove to be too early in the match to try something that risky." _Michael Cole said, as he watched the match carefully.   


Trish pushed herself up from the painful twist of fate she had gotten, Trish rubbed her neck, she looked up and saw Stephanie climbing on top of the turnbuckle. Trish ran to the turnbuckle and pushed Stephanie off of it, before Stephanie could do the move she was planning.

Benoit jumped down from the ring when he saw Stephanie fall to the ground, Benoit ran over to Stephanie, he kneeled down next to her and stared down at her concerned. "Are you okay? Do you need me to get the medics?" Benoit asked, getting ready to call the medics over.

Stephanie shook her head. "No, I'm fine, just help me up."

Benoit nodded and helped Stephanie up, he brushed her back off and stared at her. "Are you sure? We can disqualify the match if you don't think you can go on, it looks like you landed the wrong way."

Stephanie shook her head. "No I can handle this, I can!" Stephanie said firmly.   


_"Stephanie's coming back in the ring after a small talk with her tag team partner Chris Benoit. It looks like Stephanie isn't willing to give up so easily, like I said she's got spunk!" _Tazz said, watching Stephanie crawl back in the ring.

Michael Cole smiled a bit. _"Well I don't know about that, but she's proving to be headstrong in this match, she started off this match with a clothesline and now she is bringing out the bigger moves. Trish and Triple H can hardly believe the moves Stephanie is throwing at Trish, Stephanie McMahon will NOT give up." _Michael Cole said as he watched Stephanie duck a punch thrown by Trish.

_"She's proven to be taking the WWF by storm, she's a changed girl, and she wants to make sure everyone knows that. Listen to the cheering of this crowd, they want to see Stephanie win! Hell, I want to see Stephanie win! Stephanie has the man, the pride, the friends... everything is happy in McMahon-ville!" _Tazz commented, smirking.

_"Even I have to admit that Stephanie has been taking the WWF by surprise, especially her alliance with Chyna and Lita. Chyna has hated Stephanie for the longest time and now it seems that these two hateful enemies are becoming the best of friends, even Chris Jericho seems to be on Stephanie's side. To think this all started with Stephanie's injury on Smackdown a month ago when Stephanie was distracting the ref, for no apparent reason. Ever since the injury we saw things changing in the WWF, the relationship between Shane and Stephanie seemed to heal itself, Stephanie won back Test's love and has recently made friends with the Undertaker, those two have had a complicated past... but it seems that Stephanie's change has changed more people then just her." _Michael Cole replied, not taking his eyes off the match.

_"Stephanie's climbing back on the turnbuckle..." _Michael Cole started but was interrupted by Tazz.

_"This girl does not know when to give up, my kind of girl. Think she would leave Test for me?" _Tazz questioned.

_"I sincerely doubt it." _Michael Cole replied, shaking his head.   


Stephanie fell down to the mat, Trish advanced towards her, Stephanie let her foot connect with Trish's face; Stephanie rolled over when she saw Trish holding her face in pain. Stephanie pushed herself up, she looked to Benoit who was nodding.   


_"Benoit is nodding at Stephanie, as if he's giving her a sign, what do Benoit and Stephanie have up their sleeves?" _Tazz asked, watching the match.

_"I don't know, Benoit and Stephanie seem to be the only ones who know how this match is going to end, we will just have to wait and see... Stephanie is back on the turnbuckle..." _Michael Cole was interrupted once again by Tazz.

_"I can't believe this! Stephanie just gave Trish a hurracanrana! What a finishing move! It's Lita's finishing move!" _Tazz exclaimed.

_"Wait, Stephanie isn't pinning Trish, what is Stephanie doing? She should just pin Trish---" _Michael Cole stopped in the middle of his sentence when he saw what Stephanie was doing to Trish.

_"Oh my god! Stephanie is performing the crippler crossface on Trish! That's Benoit's submission move! Benoit is looking on with approval, this was the plan!" _Tazz said, excited.

_"Oh wait, looks like Triple H doesn't want this match to be over, he's climbing into the ring!" _Michael Cole stated, as he watched Triple H to climb into the ring.

_"I can't believe this! What is Triple H thinking? There can be no good thoughts in that man's head while he gets in this ring." _Tazz replied, frowning.

_"But wait, here's another surprise! The Undertaker just came through the crowd, the Undertaker has pulled Triple H away from the ring, the Undertaker just saved Stephanie McMahon!" _Michael Cole screamed.

_"And here comes Kane... the brothers of destruction have run to Stephanie's aid, the brothers of destruction are saving Stephanie McMahon from Triple H. A chokeslam from Kane and a last ride from the Undertaker and Triple H is out of the game, no pun intended." _Tazz replied, watching the carnage.

_"And Trish has just tapped out of the crippler crossface, the win goes to Stephanie McMahon and Chris Benoit, with unexpected help from the brothers of destruction. Tonight we have seen a new era, Stephanie McMahon is officially taking the WWF to a whole new level!" _Michael Cole commented, watching Stephanie getting pulled up by Benoit.

_"Listen to this crowd, they want more of daddy's little girl, listen to this standing ovation! Tonight Stephanie McMahon has proven that she will not be underestimated, tonight she has proven her worth to the WWF, she may be daddy's little girl, but she's so much more then that!" _Tazz exclaimed as he watched Stephanie and Benoit leave the ring.   


**::: In the hallways :::******

"Was that awesome or what?" Stephanie asked as her and Benoit walked down the hallway of the Heat arena.

"Yes it was," Benoit stated. "Mark and Kane... was that planned?" Benoit asked.

Stephanie shook her head. "No, I haven't talked to Mark or Kane all day; I was just as surprised as you were when I heard Michael Cole and Tazz say that Mark and Kane were beating Hunter up. But I'll have to remember to thank them, Hunter could have really hurt us, and probably cost us the match, if Mark and Kane didn't show up."

Benoit shook his head. "Hey you were real good out there, real good. Didn't think you would be able to pull it off, but you did. You took Trish by total surprise, I don't think she was expecting you to be that experienced and ready." Benoit replied.

"I don't think anyone did, you have no idea how long it took me to learn that, I'm just glad I could help you out there. And hearing the cheering of that crowd sounded good you know? All I have ever heard from them, is that damn 'slut' chant, but then I heard them cheering for us, and it sounded so good." Stephanie commented, as her and Benoit walked down the hallway.

"Gives you a rush right?" Benoit asked, smiling.

"The biggest." Stephanie replied. "It was like wow!"

Benoit laughed. "I feel like that everyday..."   


"Excuse me Benoit? Stephanie?" Lillian Garcia interrupted Benoit.

Benoit looked away from Stephanie, to see Lillian. "Yeah, can we help you?"

Lillian nodded. "I was wondering if you two had any time for an interview."

Stephanie smiled. "Sure we would love to."   


**NEXT IN TAINTED:******

Stephanie gets interviewed by Lillian Garcia.

Kane fights Hunter in a title match.

Linda and Andrew talk.

Team RECK take down Albert. 


	14. The family that fights together, stays t...

nets shit "Great, thanks guys." Lillian said softly as she guided Benoit and Stephanie to two stools. "First off, you two have never tag teamed together, so what was going on in your minds when Regal announced that you two were going to be tag team partners tonight fighting in a match against Triple H and Trish Stratus?" 

Benoit rubbed his neck. "What were we thinking Lillian? Basically we were thinking about kicking Triple H and Trish Stratus's asses. You know what Lillian, when I first came to the WWF this company stood for something and now there is not even a shell of decency this company had in the beginning. People like Triple H and Albert or even X-Pac cheat their way into the main events and get the belts that wrestlers like me, Chris Jericho and Kane work our asses off to get." 

Stephanie nodded. "Triple H has had it way too easy for way too long, the same goes for Trish Stratus. They just think they can go and do whatever they want and get no punishment for their actions, well I think tonight taught Trish Stratus a lesson." 

Benoit smirked. "That it did." 

Lillian smiled at the sight in front of her, she had heard rumors about the friendship between Benoit and Stephanie, but seeing it in front of her face right now she realized that they were no rumors. "Stephanie what was going on in your head when Triple H was trying to get into the ring to attack you?" 

Stephanie shook her head. "What was going on in my head? Fear. Triple H is a scary man, I should know more then anybody, I was married to him for two years, and he is not a pleasant man. Triple H likes to be in control of everything in his life and for once in his life he's not in control, I am. I am in complete control, like Tazz said earlier, there is a new era starting, a era where Triple H is not in control." 

Benoit nodded. "An era where Triple H is going to be introduced to a lot of pain. Mister IC champ thinks he's so damn good, well I am warning him right here and now, mess with my friends Triple H, you are going to be in a world of hurt." 

Lillian would usually shrink back about now, it was known that Chris Benoit was not *always* a nice man, he tended to be scary at times; But Lillian could see that his threat was only directed at Triple H, so she allowed herself not to be scared of him, this time. "What were your thoughts the Undertaker and Kane came out and helped you Stephanie?" 

Stephanie let a smile tug at her lips. "It was totally unexpected to see Undertaker and Kane out there but I want to thank them right now for doing so. I know that if it wasn't for them Triple H would probably have attacked me in the ring, so thank you again Undertaker and Kane and Kane, good luck on your title match on RAW against Triple H." Stephanie looked up and saw Lita walking over to them. 

"What are your predictions for the Kane/Triple H title match on RAW tomorrow night?" Lillian asked, trying to keep the interview going on as long as she could. 

Benoit shrugged, still rubbing his neck. 

"I'm sorry but can we finish this later? I have some business to attend to." Stephanie smiled and ran over to Lita. 

Benoit shrugged and walked off, still rubbing his neck, with a look of pain on his face. 

Lillian sighed. "So much for the interview."   


"Did you see it?" Stephanie screamed, pulling Lita into a hug. 

Lita smiled hugging Stephanie back. "I saw it, you were great Steph! You and Benoit really did great out there, I'm really proud of you Stephanie." 

Stephanie smiled at Lita, once they pulled apart. "Did you hear the crowd? They loved me, like they are going to love us when our plan comes into full action tomorrow." 

Lita nodded. "We are going to kick some major ass, but we got a problem." 

Stephanie frowned. "What's wrong?" 

Lita crossed her arms against her chest. "I don't know what happened but Regal has set up a match for Monday night RAW. It's me, Jeff, Molly and Spike against the Dudley Boys, Crash and Hardcore Holly. Molly is freaking out, she tells us she doesn't mind fighting her cousins, but I think the loss of communication between her and Crash is really bringing her down. You've seen how close they used to be, and now it's like she doesn't mean a thing to her cousins. I understand Hardcore, you know how he is, but Crash always was there for Molly, he was there with her on her debut, hell she wouldn't be here if it wasn't for Crash, and this is really affecting her that Crash wants to fight her in the ring, and yes I do mean her. I heard Crash and Hardcore talking about it, Crash wants to be in the ring with Molly, Hardcore agreed." 

Stephanie's eyes widened. "When did Crash become so evil?" 

Lita shrugged. "I don't know. It's like he has done a total 180 on his personality. He wants revenge, and he will go to any lengths to get what he wants, him and Hardcore have even joined sides with Hunter." 

Stephanie shook her head. "I wish they didn't have to be on our enemies list, I really do like Crash, he used to be real nice and Hardcore could have been a great ally to us. It doesn't matter, the plan still goes on, we'll just have to change it around a bit to fit your match." 

Lita got a look on her face. "Shane will never forgive you if you get yourself hurt." 

Stephanie started walking. "Shane won't know."   


** [ Monday Night RAW - Andrew's locker-room ]**

"Look at this." Andrew said once Shane walked into the room. 

Shane sighed and walked over to where Andrew was and raised his eyebrows up in questioning. "What is it? Can we hurry this up because I am not in a good mood today." 

Andrew turned the vcr on and played the ending of Stephanie and Benoit's match. "There." Andrew pointed to the Undertaker and Kane coming to Stephanie's rescue. 

Shane crossed his arms and knitted his eyes brows as he watched the Undertaker and Kane beat up Triple H; The realization was starting to hit Shane, why Kane and the Undertaker refused to help him, they wouldn't help them because the Undertaker and Kane were already helping someone else. "Oh what a sneak." 

Andrew turned to Shane. "Who? What?" 

Shane shook his head. "Stephanie. She formed her own plan, it makes so much sense now, why she's suddenly been so busy with Chyna and Lita. They're forming a plan against our own, they must have heard us somehow." 

"Shit." Andrew hissed. "This can't be good." 

Shane rolled his eyes. "You're my friend and all, but no shit. I grew up with this girl and I know more then anyone how competitive Stephanie can be when she thinks you are keeping her out of something. When we were in high school and she found out I was doing something and not including her in on it, she would set her mind on out-doing me." 

Andrew ran his hands over his face. "How are we going to stop this?" 

Shane shrugged. "In all reality Andrew, I think this is beyond stopping. I know Stephanie, she would think everything out first before actually acting on it, Stephanie would gather allies, form a plan, she's a perfectionist." 

Andrew shook his head. "I don't care if she's a perfectionist or if she has this all planned out, I can't just sit back and watch her get hurt. She may be your sister but you don't... can't possibly love her the way I love her. She came to me two years ago looking for comfort, I had given it to her instantly, I was going to be married to her and then I lost her to _him. _I fooled myself for a long time that I didn't love her anymore, but I did... DO. I lost everything... Stephanie, Albert, Trish... just when I thought I couldn't lose anything more, I gained something, her. I would never bestow any sort of pain on Steph, but that injury changed everything for me, because that injury eventually brought your sister back to me. I once made a mistake on not fighting for someone I love, and I will not make the same mistake twice, I can't let myself let her get hurt. I love her so much Shane, I always have and it's hard watching her get hurt, do you know how freaked out I was during that tag team match? Hunter was going to hurt her, he WILL hurt her, if we don't do something. Hunter doesn't have her anymore and he doesn't want anyone to have her, do you know how much it will kill me if I lost her Shane? It would kill me, because she completes me, she's my other half and I can't live without her... so when you tell me this is beyond stopping this, those words don't mean shit to me, because I won't, can't, comprehend them." 

Shane watched Andrew carefully, he studied Andrew's cheek muscle and how it tensed up as the words spilled out of Andrew's mouth. Shane could feel his heart tug at Andrew's words, Shane had known Andrew loved his sister, but up until now, Shane didn't know how much. 

"Look you think I like this? You think I like seeing how he looks at her, how he looks at her like some sort of prey that he is about to pounce on? I don't! I want this to end, but as much as we tried to make this just our battle, it isn't. It's her battle too you know? This isn't about protecting, this is about her getting what she needs... closure, revenge, etc. I'm not going to let him hurt her, but I am not going to stop her. For a long time everyone treated her as if she was glass, no one would look at her sideways afraid that she would break, she's not glass. She's strong and she can do this, I'm not going to let her do this alone, but stopping her now, would be saying she can't do it, I would be just like everybody else. You say you love her, if you do, you'll let her fight." 

"She can get hurt." Andrew said, lowering his voice. 

"Everybody hurts, but no one can cope without pain, if we put her in this damn plastic bubble for the rest of her life, she won't be Steph. I am going to do my best to make sure she is safe, but I will NOT make her give up on this fight." Shane said, turning to leave. 

"Where are you going?" Andrew asked, watching Shane about to leave. 

"To fight my own fight." Shane replied quickly before leaving the locker-room.   


**[ Vince's Office ]******

Vince watched the tape of the Stephanie/Benoit and Trish/Hunter tag team match, his daughter was learning moves and she was learning them fast. Vince fast forwarded the tape to Stephanie and Benoit's interview and frowned as he listened to the words coming out of Stephanie and Benoit's mouths; Stephanie was challenging him, by standing by Benoit's side as he trashed the WWF, Stephanie was becoming one of his enemies.

Vince loved his daughter, oh god did he love her, she was his angel, but this company came first, and Stephanie was endangering the company. As Shane tried to do, and was still trying to do... Vince expected this from Shane but not Stephanie, not his baby girl. Stephanie could have ruled at his side, like she had been doing for two years, but now she was becoming one of the people he had done his damn hardest to pull down. Her interaction with Benoit was becoming more often, Benoit was already attached to Stephanie and like-wise, Stephanie was also friends with Jericho, Vince didn't know who his daughter was anymore. One day she had been "Mrs. Game", the billion dollar princess, his daughter... And now she was...

She was Shane's sister now. Yes she had always been his sister but Stephanie's loyalties had laid with him and the WWF and Hunter, and now Stephanie's loyalties laid with Shane and Andrew and damnit Benoit as well.

Vince had already lost the battle with Stephanie; Stephanie was popular now, popular and known for her suddenly sweet and friendly side, a side that now attracted the fans and the WWF superstars. Vince had no choice, he had to pull Stephanie down, like all the rest... like The Rock... like Mick Foley. What would good ol' Mick and Rock do if they knew what was to happen? Would The Rock come strolling in, not giving a shit, and protect Stephanie? Would Mick run in with his dirty, disgusting sock and save the day? Vince didn't care anymore, he knew what he had to do and damn it, he was going to do it.

"Hey Vince." Steve greeted as he walked in.

Vince smiled, no grinned widely when he saw Steve. "Just the man I wanted to see."

Steve smiled, despite what was going on in his head. "What's up Vince?"

Vince got up, still smiling. "Tonight that pesky daughter of mine is going down, along with her buddies, along with Shane and Andrew. Stephanie is going down, and at the hands of the experts in tables."

Steve contained the glare and smiled. "Great, it happens tonight?" Steve asked.

Vince nodded. "You'll accompany Hunter to the ring in his match against Kane, which when it's over, the tag team match with Spike, Molly, Jeff and Lita against The Dudley Boys, Crash and Hardcore, will begin. I know for a fact my good doing daughter will run out and help her friends, D-Von and Buh Buh Ray will put my precious daughter through a table." Vince smirked.

Steve nodded. "I'm going to talk to Hunter."

Vince smiled. "Go ahead, see you out there Steve."

Steve nodded and walked out, finally letting the disgusted look on his face appear.

Vince was serious, Steve could tell that, Vince was going to have his daughter broken tonight, his own daughter, his own blood! Steve didn't have time to warn Stephanie, he would just have to be there, to protect her... who gives what the fans thought? He would betray Hunter tonight, help Kane win, and then he would protect Stephanie McMahon.

And maybe just get a little bit of his soul back.   


** [ Starbucks Coffee ]******

Andrew sat down next to Linda, casting her a worried look. "Thanks for coming Linda."

Linda nodded, putting her coffee aside and stared into Andrew's eyes seriously. "What's wrong Andrew? There is obviously a reason you asked me to come here, you sounded so frantic on the phone, so scared, what is going on?"

Andrew sighed slowly. "Stephanie, she's getting herself in a lot of trouble. I don't know if you have been watching, but she is planning to take Hunter down, I have no problem with that... but she is digging herself a hole, and I am so scared, that she won't be able to get out. I love her so much Linda, and I wouldn't ask you here if I didn't..."

Linda nodded. "I know, I know you love my daughter. And I also know about her plan, and I know that she is getting in too deep with this, but I have to agree with Shane on this one. She needs to do this, she needs to grow as a person, and if she doesn't do this, she won't be able to grow, and that means she can't completely love you with all of her heart and soul. I know my daughter, for once in my life I know my daughter, and what she is doing is justified, she is challenging the WWF, she's making a name for herself, making a name for the other WWF superstars, she's making a name for you. She's not the only one that is sick of the way people are treated in the WWF by Vince and Hunter, but by doing this she might be ending it all."

Andrew scoffed. "At what cost? Her health? Her life?"

Linda put her hand on Andrew's shoulder. "She's a McMahon, she'll put her body on the line to do what she needs to do, no matter how many bumps she gets, she will always get up."

Andrew shook his head. "And what if she doesn't this time?"

Linda forced a smile. "She ALWAYS does."

"I can't take the chance. I heard talk, and it doesn't sound good, Vince should not be trusted, I heard that Vince doesn't like the new Stephanie..." Andrew started.

Linda nodded. "He doesn't and he should NOT be trusted and Stephanie knows that. She loves her dad but she also knows what kind of a man he is, she's prepared."

Andrew took a sip of his coffee. "She may be but I'm not."

Linda smirked. "You weren't prepared for what she is doing to your heart. Don't look at me that way, I see the way your eyes sparkle whenever she is around, how you suddenly seem like a school boy when she stares at you. That is what love does to you and I see the love you have for her, and I am glad that she finally found someone who loves her back, and believe me she loves you, she always has. You brought my daughter back to me, you brought a part of her back to her, and she seems to brought a part of you back to you."

Andrew nodded. "God I love her, and just the thought of losing her is driving me insane."

Linda smiled softly at Andrew. "You won't lose her, she has no intention on leaving you."

"No one ever does, you don't plan on leaving, but sometimes things happen, bad things. Hunter is crazy, he won't give up until something completely terrible happens to Stephanie, and everyone is telling me to relax, how can I relax when I can't control losing Stephanie?" Andrew asked, raising his voice.

"Please, calm down." Linda asked, in a soft voice.

"I can't!" Andrew screamed, jumping up. "Don't ask me to calm down when I have no idea what is going to happen! Why am I even here? I should be there---" Andrew stopped when he saw the tv above them being turned to channel 12, Andrew sat down and listened to Jim Ross and Paul Heyman.   


_"Well RAW seems to be one interesting event after another Paul. We just showed the interview with Stephanie McMahon that was taken earlier, it seems that Stephanie has a little surprise she wants to show the residents of San Francisco tonight, or at least that is what she told me." _JR commented, he sat up as Molly Holly's music entered the arena.

_"That Stephanie is such a doll! I always loved her! But enough about Stephanie McMahon, can you believe we got a new IC champ?" _Paul asked.

_"Speaking of, that was an incredible match! Kane had Triple H dominated throughout the whole match, there was one point at the ending of the match that it looked like Kane was going to lose, but then the most shocking thing happened, Stone Cold Steve Austin turned on Triple H and attacked him with a chair various times." _JR said, turning to Paul.

Paul nodded. _"Yes, that was a big shock! I had no idea that was going to happen, another reason why Stephanie McMahon is a dangerous lady, she has a lot of friends we would never expect. But poor Stone Cold, he was rushed to the hospital with a broken tailbone at the hands of no other then Billy Gunn." _Paul said, shaking his head.

JR nodded, shaking his head as well. _"Well Billy Gunn may have gotten the attack on Stone Cold but it was Team RECK who took the win over Billy Gunn. Billy Gunn on the way out of the match got caught in between Edge and Christian and Billy Gunn received a painful conchairto by Christian and Edge and then he got a gore from the man beast himself, Rhyno!"___

Paul made a snorting noise. _"And if Team RECK hadn't done enough damage, after the match they continued the vicious attacks and went after X-Factor."___

JR shook his head. _"X-Factor deserved it, X-Factor have cheated their way into the WWF and now it's time for a little revenge and if it's Team RECK to give that revenge, so be it."___

_"And to continue the shock, Triple H now has The Radicalz and the Dudley Boys and the Holly cousins on his side." _Paul commented.

_"Speaking of, it seems that we have all our tag team members here, Crash and Molly are the first people in..."_   
__ __

Andrew grabbed his coat. "I have to go, Stephanie is going to interfere I know it." Andrew waved and ran out of the coffee shop, not waiting for a reply from Linda, all he knew was that he had to get to the arena.   


**[ RAW Arena - San Francisco, CA ]******

Shane watched the match cautiously from Andrew's locker-room, Shane didn't know where Andrew was, but since Shane didn't have a locker-room of his own, he had to use Andrew's. Shane flinched as he saw Lita thrown into the post corner, things were not going well for Lita, Jeff, Molly and Spike.

Jeff had gotten the tag in before Lita, about 3 minutes ago but was brutalized by the Dudley Boys and thrown through a table by D-Von, right now Jeff was being checked on by the medics, but Jeff refused to end the match.

Buh Buh Ray and D-Von had done the 3D on Spike.

Crash and Hardcore had double teamed on Molly.

Shane flinched again as he watched Crash jump in the ring and helped D-Von beat Lita up; Shane smirked as he saw Molly push herself up and pull Crash out of the ring. Shane could hardly believe Molly still had any strength left in her to pull Crash out of the ring.

Shane's eyes widened as he saw Stephanie running down the titantron. "Oh god Steph..." Shane turned around when he saw the door open. "She's going to get hurt Andrew."

Andrew nodded. "So let's go."

Shane nodded and him and Andrew ran out the door started to run towards the ring.   


Stephanie slid into the ring and pulled D-Von away from Lita; Stephanie staggered back when she saw D-Von approaching her, she turned around once she bumped into Buh Buh Ray. "No..." Stephanie said hoarsely.

Buh Buh Ray smirked and looked over at Crash who had kicked Molly, throwing her off of him. "Get the tables." Buh Buh Ray screamed to Crash.

Hardcore jumped down from the ring and pulled the table out with Crash, they set up the table and nodded, moving out of the way.

Jeff looked up and tried to push himself up when he saw D-Von and Buh Buh Ray grab Stephanie, but he landed back down the floor with a sickening thud. "Someone help her!" Jeff screamed.

Molly tried to push herself up but she was body slammed by Hardcore.

Lita pushed herself up and punched D-Von, who staggered a bit, but then kicked Lita, throwing her back.

"Let's do it." D-Von said to Buh Buh Ray.

Buh Buh Ray nodded and then they both lifted Stephanie's body up in the air and then threw her over the ring and watched her land on the table, the table cracking in half, and possibly Stephanie's body.

The bell rang throughout the arena, indicating that the match was ending because of disqualification because of Stephanie's interference; Buh Buh Ray and D-Von slid out of the ring and walked up the titantron and disappeared backstage.   


Lita pushed herself up slowly, and looked over the rings with a look of horror on her face, Lita slid out of the ring despite the pain and crawled over to Stephanie. "Oh my god... medics!" Lita screamed, as she touched Stephanie's arm, trying weakly to wake Stephanie up.

Spike crawled over to Molly. "Hey you okay?"

Molly nodded, holding her head. "Stephanie..." Molly pointed over to where Lita was.

Spike nodded and guided him and Molly over to where Lita was. "H-How is she?" Spike asked weakly.

Lita looked up with a sad look on her face. "She won't wake up."   


Jeff looked over to where Molly, Lita and Spike were, huddling over Stephanie, trying to desperately to wake her up. Jeff would have already been over there, but the medics wouldn't let him get up, plus his back hurt like hell, and he knew there was no way in hell he could make his way over to Stephanie and the gang without hurting himself more. Jeff closed his eyes, not wanting to see the carnage anymore, Jeff finally opens his eyes when he hears Shane's theme music pound throughout the arena.   


Crash tore his eyes away from Stephanie and the sick way her body was twisted on top of the broken table, Crash looked up at the titantron and saw Andrew and Shane running towards them. "Bob..." Crash started.

Hardcore shook his head and pulled Crash behind him, to protect him of whatever was to come. Hardcore would never admit this to anyone but Hardcore loved the hell out of Crash, Hardcore would do anything to protect his little cousin. Crash was his best friend, Hardcore had always looked out for Crash, even though half the time it didn't seem that way, Hardcore would have given up any sort of belt to protect Crash, but if it was the last thing he did, he would never tell Crash how he felt. Hardcore wasn't really good with emotions, so Hardcore wouldn't know where to begin to tell Crash how much he loved him, Hardcore wasn't like Molly and Crash, who would just spurt out the words like they were the easiest words to say. Hardcore looked over at Molly who was now looking up at him in awe, Hardcore loved Crash but like he had said, Molly was no concern of his. Hardcore didn't want to seem like an asshole but he didn't feel anything for Molly, his protection and love was for Crash, and when Molly entered the picture Hardcore had warmed up to his youngest cousin but then the Spike thing happened and Hardcore just stopped caring.

Molly stared at Hardcore, her oldest cousin, in awe; For a moment she allowed herself to forget where she was and who was hurt, all she could see was how Hardcore had instantly pushed Crash behind him, to protect him. It was the sweetest thing she had seen her oldest cousin do, she had never really seen Hardcore express human emotions but when he did, he usually expressed them towards Crash. Molly looked eyes with Hardcore and saw the emotionless look in his eyes directed to her, Molly would usually be affected by it, but she knew that she wasn't Hardcore's favorite cousin, she always knew. Hardcore found her annoying with her constant optimism, she knew that for sure, Molly had never really hung out with Hardcore when they were younger, she had always hung out with Crash. Molly frowned when she thought of Crash, her and Crash had at one time been so close, and now he had attacked her with no emotion in his body towards her. Molly had said that it didn't affect her anymore, but it did... Molly loved Crash, they were best friends... cousins... almost like best friends, and now what was he to her? An enemy. But that was only because Crash wanted to make them out to be that, she loved Spike and would continue doing so and Crash couldn't accept that, so their feud started, it hurt her to see her cousin, her best friend, be so evil. Crash wasn't evil by nature, he was the sweetest little thing, ferocious when he wanted to be, but usually sweet, and that was what had surprised her the most by his raging anger towards her.

Crash stared at Molly while he continued to stay behind Hardcore, not daring to move, feeling safe behind his oldest cousin. Crash stared at the look on Molly's face, it was a mixture between anger, sadness and confusion and there was a bit of awe in her sparkling eyes. Crash let a little smile tug at his lips, unaware to Molly, even though Crash was attacking her, he still loved his little cousin Molly. They were best friends growing up, Hardcore had always been the most popular one, Molly and him had been less popular but it hadn't really bothered them, they just stuck together, they were a team. They took their first fighting class together, they both shared the dream of becoming WWF superstars, him and Molly were exactly like in personality, they were a match, they were more brother and sister then actual cousins. But when Molly fell for Spike Dudley it had enraged Crash, it was known everywhere that the Hollys and the Dudleys were not friendly with one another, they were mortal enemies and Molly dared to betray, disgrace the Holly name by going out with that... Dudley boy. Crash was not usually one to be naturally mean, but when someone disgraced the family name, he got angry and Molly was doing so. It didn't matter if she was in love with him or not, she was turning her back on her family, she was turning her back on him. And that was what hurt the most, Molly had always been his best friend, supported him when Hardcore didn't, and with one glance of Spike Dudley she was turning her back on him. Hardcore had told him if she wanted to go frolic off with the Dudley boy let her and stop dwelling on it, that was Hardcore alright... always making Crash feel inferior. It hurt most of the time when Hardcore would speak to Crash to in that lecturing tone of his, Crash always felt like a little child around Hardcore, but there were times when Hardcore would smile at Crash and slap hands with him or wrap his arm around Crash's neck and Crash would feel superior to Hardcore, he would feel as if he was best friends with Hardcore, he felt that Hardcore wanted him around. Crash took one more glance at Molly and frowned, he missed his cousin... he missed his cousins. Hardcore and Molly were his family, the only he knew, and Crash felt like he was losing both of them.   


Andrew ran down the titantron with Shane by his side, Shane pushed past Andrew as he ran to the broken table with the broken body on top of it.

"This stops now!" Shane raised his voice.

Andrew shook his head. "God, I didn't know this was going to happen, if I knew this was going to happen I would have never allowed her to come out here, you think I want her hurt?"

"It doesn't matter you didn't know or not, it doesn't matter whose fault this was, this stops right now and here. I'm taking my dad down for what happened tonight and if anyone wants to stop me, do it now." Shane picked up Stephanie's body holding her tightly against him.

"Shane..." Crash emerged from his hiding spot behind his older cousin.

Shane glared at Crash. "You want to stop me?"

Crash shook his head. "No I want to join you."

Shane's eyes got big. "How could you possibly want to join me? You along with your cousin and the Dudley Boys put my sister through a table, you helped Hunter get revenge, and now you want to join me?"

Crash nodded. "I'm sick of how me and Bob been acting, I want to help you, and maybe... just maybe help myself."

"Help yourself with what?" Andrew asked confused.

"Getting in good graces with his cousin." Bob replied. "I frankly don't care what Molly does, she's no concern of mine, but Crash does, he wants to be friends with her again, so you help us, we'll help you."

Shane stared at Crash for a few seconds and then Hardcore, who had his eyes planted on Crash, Shane would have smirked, Hardcore was doing this for Crash. "She's right there, go ahead and talk to her." Shane replied, starting to talk up the titantron with Stephanie in his arms and Andrew at his side.   


Crash looked at Hardcore. "Should I?"

Hardcore shrugged. "Like I care, if you want to play make up with Molly go ahead, just leave me out of it. I swear Crash..."

Crash lowered his eyes at the tone in Hardcore's voice. "You're right who needs Molly!? I'm going backstage." Crash looked up and smiled at Hardcore before running up the titantron and disappearing backstage.

Hardcore stared after Crash and suddenly felt guilt enter his body for sounding so cold and disgusted with Crash, he wasn't trying to be mean, he just didn't know how to react when Crash would look up at him, staring at him with pondering eyes, like some damn puppy dog.

"You are so mean." Molly said, limping over, with Spike in tow.

Hardcore glared at Molly, then at Spike. "Why don't you and your Dudley boy just leave me alone?"

Molly shook her head. "You are so obvious Bob, Crash is your best friend, I know the feeling, he used to be mine at one time. You know Crash has adored you his whole life, and all you do is make him feel like a little child. Why do you feel the need to make him feel so inferior? I saw the way you pushed him behind you, to protect him, but yet when it comes to the time to be nice, you make him feel awful."

Hardcore's eyes softened, but the glare was still painted on his face. "Like I care what you have to say, you're the one that hurt him by turning your back on him for our enemy."

Molly shook his head. "I never turned my back on either of you, but you don't care do you? I've only seen you protect one person with your life in your life and that's Crash, but you don't care what I do, because I'm not a concern of yours."

Hardcore turned to leave. "Just leave me alone."   


Molly turned to Spike. "I wish they didn't hate me so much."

Spike put his arm around Molly's neck. "Crash doesn't, I can see it in his eyes, just give him a little time."   


**NEXT IN TAINTED:******

Andrew and Stephanie talk while she is in the hospital.

Shane warns Triple H.

Benoit along with Jericho and Chyna take down The Dudley Boys.

Hardcore tries to talk to Crash. 


End file.
